In Memoria di Me (In Memory of Me)

What gives our lives meaning and how far would we go to follow our beliefs?
One film exploring life's purpose is Italian film In Memory of Me. I kept thinking about this film after it finished and it can lead to some big questions so, although it is not a new release film (2007), I wanted to introduce it to you.


This pensive film follows Andrea, a man who decides to give up his outwardly successful but unfulfilling life 'in the world' in favour of a life of devotion in a monastery. Before committing to the church there is the trial period of the novitiate; this is the timespan of the story. The purpose of the novitiate is for the postulant (the one who wants to become a monk) to decide if such a life is the right path for them and likewise, for the church to assess if the postulant is suitable to join their community. For even here in the monastery there is a society to which Andrea and others struggle to adapt to. Their daily life, carried out in monastic silence, is full of rules, routines and scrutiny. The lack of open communication and the priests' encouragement of the postulants to watch each other and report on each other, builds a mood of suspicion and leads Andrea and the audience to doubt the monastic life and the role of the church.


Like the postulants lives, the action and dialogue in the film are sparse, allowing us to enter into the reflective and challenging journey they are going through. The uncluttered musical score and elegant cinematography support this portrayal of an outwardly measured life of a man where all the action is beneath the surface as he struggles with his most fundamental beliefs.

I wasn't thrilled by the ending but got something from it none the less. The film is easier to dwell in like you would a piece of music than expecting the plot alone to satisfy.

My advice to audiences? Although it is slow, don't talk all the way through this movie. Just observe, let it sit with you then see what discussions follow. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts - on the film and especially its themes.




In Memoria di Me (In Memory of Me)

2007

Director: Saverio Costanzo

Writer: Saverio Costanzo, based on the novel 'The Perfect Jesuit' by Furio Monicelli

Cinematography: Mario Amura

Original Score: Alter Ego

Editing: Francesca Calvelli

Cast: Christo Jivkov, André Hennicke, Filippo Timi, Marco Baliani, Fausto Russi Alesi, Stefano Antonucci, Rocco Andrea Barone, Paolo Bizzeti, Massimo Cagnina, Milutin Dapcevic, Matteo D'Arienzo, Ben Pace, Allesandro Quattro

Runtime: 118 minutes