Review: The French Short ‘Memories’ Connects its Messages and Dreamlike Style with Everyday Takeaways

“Memories,” the short film by Philippe Lebraud and Pierre Glénat, follows the duo’s 2020 short, “Covidream” in its cinematographic approach, but adds a more pensive ending. The film, at just over 17 minutes, features writer Glénat’s favorite locale—a park in Paris (here the Parc des Buttes Chaumont). And while the beginning scenes are somewhat confusing, its middle—featuring simple talks with other park-goers—and its end make up for it with sweet, lingering food for thought. 

Once again, Lebraud and Glénat experiment with dreamlike cinematography that gives “Memories” an almost childlike feel—and this is not a criticism. It gives the feeling of a hazy day, shifting in and out of dreams. Sometimes the transition bubbles or effects can seem a bit too frequent, but it’s forgivable. 

Illusory, wandering filmmaking

The filming style also begets the material. A man (Glénat), is left to wait on a park bench while a woman (who I assumed was his wife—wrongly) told him to wait there while she goes to grab something. However the man, credited as Mr. Veillon, ends up wandering around the park, seeing sights, and talking to different persons. One woman believes she knows him from a trip to New York City. He talks to another who asks about an art exhibit, which Veillon knows something about. Another person reminds him of someone he met somewhere, and yet a fourth talks about a social program she runs after speaking to him and another about their privilege to be able to travel as they do. 

What works about “Memories,” however, and sets it aside from “Covidream,” is it’s about more than its stated material. The interactions Veillon has with these others mean something else, even though that meaning doesn’t become apparent until the film’s dying seconds. This might be the short’s weakness—that its points wash over you at the end, and without the finale the film would kind of be like a wandering daydream. But, as is customary with Glénat’s writing, “Memories” is speckled with conversations between strangers that are simple and sweet. These conversations are important; they deal with life, experience, and empathy. While most films nowadays concern themselves with salient social messages, satire, or drama, Glénat and Lebraud concern themselves with the everyday. I don’t see films like this in the U.S. It was a welcome change. 

While adding food for thought…

Of course, what makes “Memories” work, ultimately, is its takeaways. A woman on the park bench who talks to Veillon about his privilege to travel freely sets the stage for its closing moments, where, to Veillon, this woman and the others he met hold the real privilege. It’s impossible to explain why without spoilers. But, should you get the chance, do check out “Memories.” While it meanders a bit—and is more insightful thought-fodder than straight entertainment—it’s a nice film, one that lets its European culture wash over you, and a film that makes you feel better having watched it. 

“Memories” is currently available to watch in its entirety for free on YouTube or in the window below. The film is cast in French, with subtitles in English.