THE ETERNAL MEMORY -- A Sad Documentary Showing What Alzheimer’s Truly Does to People

Review by Dan Skip Allen

I've seen many films dealing with sick family members experiencing debilitating illnesses, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It's usually not a fun or enjoyable experience watching a film about ailing elderly people. The Eternal Memory is another such film, and it doesn't hold back on the difficulty factor regarding the illness of an elderly man.

Augusto Gongora was a journalist in Chile for many years. He covered various events in the country's history, including political strife and unrest among the people of his country. He was a father of two, a boy and a girl. He is now in another relationship, which he's been in for twenty years, with Paulina Urrutia. She was in charge of the arts in Chile, and she's still a stage actress from time to time when she's not taking care of her ailing partner, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Paulina is at Augusto's every beck and call, from when he wakes up in the morning to when he goes to sleep at night. That is if and when he decides to go to sleep. She bathes him and feeds him. They go on walks, she reads to him, and they talk about their lives together. She is with him at all times. That's what this relationship has become because of his illness. Most of the time, he's disoriented and doesn't know where he’s at or who he's with. She has to remind him he's with her, and sometimes what he did the previous day and or night.

There are also many home videos showing the man featured in the film when he was younger or with his kids. Add in the occasional archival footage of him reporting during difficult times in the country's history and interviewing people, and this film has a mix of different styles to tell this man's story. However, the main one is fly-on-the-wall footage of the present time.

Filmmaker Maite Alberdi creates a film about how just because some people are ill doesn't mean they can't still live a productive life. The relationship between Augusto and Paulina is a beautiful one. She cares for his every need, but he shows her he still loves her. They have various moments of tenderness, as well as crying. The emotions this man has run the gambit. Sometimes it's hard to watch because he's so disoriented. And as a viewer, I feel a bit of what he's going through. 

The Eternal Memory is a documentary that doesn't hold back on what it's like for those who are stricken with this debilitating disease and how it affects loved ones in an emotionally real way. Not having any knowledge of this man before watching the film made it even sadder for me because I don't want anybody to go through this type of thing. It is not easy to deal with no matter how you look at it, but this film handled this topic very well.

​The Eternal Memory hits theaters on August 11.

Rating: 3.5/5