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As we get older, one of the most difficult parts of growing up is watching our own parents grow old. Once strong and active and there to support us, they start to slow down and need our support. So in the documentary Our Time Machine, an artist uses his art to try to recapture his father’s fading memories.
Our Time Machine follows Chinese artist Maleonn as he embarks on his most ambitious project. After his father, a former theater director, begins slowly losing his memory, Maleonn decides that it’s time to move forward with his dream of one day collaborating with his father. The project is semi-autobiographical: a stage production telling the story of a son who builds a time machine to help his aging father regain his memories. And as his father’s memories continue to fade, the artist sets out to create striking sets and mechanical puppets to tell a story that means so much to him.
The project that Maleonn spends years of his life creating isn’t just another work of art; it’s also a work of heart. It’s the artist’s tribute to his father and their relationship. And as the project’s timeline is extended over and over again—as the money starts to run out—it’s clear that the artist is putting his heart and soul into the project because of what it means to him. It has to be just right.
What he produces is truly spectacular. As the early sketches and paintings are transformed into big, imaginative steampunk machines of lights and gears, it’s often breathtaking. There’s so much imagery and imagination on display here, and it makes this documentary visually stunning.
Really, though, this film is so much more than pictures and puppets and machines. It’s a story of a father and son relationship. It’s about art and creativity, but it’s also about memories and shared experiences. And as the story plays out, you’ll fall in love with these characters. You’ll see the pride in the father’s eyes after seeing his son’s work—or the frustration as he realizes that he just can’t bring his memories back. You’ll see the pain in the son’s eyes as he watches his father’s struggle. And as time moves on, you’ll become attached to the characters and their story. And that makes for a powerfully emotional experience.
With its mix of visual art and storytelling and real life, Our Time Machine tells a moving and beautiful story of one family’s struggle with dementia. Especially if you’ve watched a loved one deal with fading memories, it will definitely strike a chord.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
