To find what cannot be forgotten! Two siblings search for the memories their grandfather lost to Alzheimer's by recreating Grandpa's teen bike trip adventure.
Cycle of Memory follows filmmaker Alex Leff and his younger sibling Koby as they try to uncover the past and capture the present, in order to be remembered in the future. They decide to take the same bike trip as their grandfather and his close friend when they were the same age. Guided by old photographs of the 1945 trip, they search for places aged by time. But while searching for Grandpa Mel’s past, the two are confronted with their own fraught history. If they’re going to complete the turbulent journey, they’ll have to face their own emotional potholes and tumultuous relationship.
With the help of a grandmother learning to live alone for the first time, Mel’s lifelong friend and co-adventurer on the bike trip, and a family collection spanning 1950s film reels to 1990s video tapes, Cycle of Memory explores the importance of intergenerational connection, healing painful pasts, and leaving a meaningful time capsule for the future.
More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and millions more are finding themselves in the role of caregiver and losing connection with a loved one. Cycle of Memory’s intergenerational perspective expands our understanding of memory loss from a crisis facing the elderly to one that affects all ages.
Linda Bresnahan, Alzheimer's Association of Southern Maine Community Educator Volunteer, will be present to lead a discussion of the film, provide information on resources and answer questions.
