Memoria (2021 film)

2021 film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Memoria

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Written by| Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Produced by|

* Apichatpong Weerasethakul
* Diana Bustamante
* Simon Fields
* Keith Griffiths
* Charles de Meaux
* Michael Weber
* Julio Chavezmontes

Starring|

* Tilda Swinton
* Elkin Díaz
* Jeanne Balibar
* Juan Pablo Urrego
* Daniel Giménez Cacho

Cinematography| Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Edited by| Lee Chatametikool
Music by| César López

Production
companies

* Kick the Machine
* Burning
* Illuminations Films (Past Lives)
* Anna Sanders Films
* Match Factory Productions
* Piano
* Xstream Pictures
* iQIYI Pictures
* Titan Creative Entertainment
* Rediance
* ZDF/Arte
* Louverture Films
* Doha Film Institute
* Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation
* Bord Cadre Films
* Sovereign Films
* Field of Vision
* 185 Films

Distributed by|

* Cineplex (Colombia)[1]
* Sovereign Films (United Kingdom)
* New Story (France)[1]
* Mubi[2]
* Port-au-Prince Pictures (Germany)[3]
* Common Move (Thailand)
* Huaxia Film Distribution (China)[1]
* iFilm (Taiwan)[4]
* Neon (United States)
* Piano (Mexico)[5]
* Cinémathèque suisse (Switzerland)[1]

Release dates

* 15 July 2021 (2021-07-15) (Cannes)
* 30 September 2021 (2021-09-30) (Colombia)
* 17 November 2021 (2021-11-17) (France)
* 26 December 2021 (2021-12-26) (United States)
* 14 January 2022 (2022-01-14) (United Kingdom)

Running time

| 136 minutes
Countries|

* Thailand
* Colombia
* United Kingdom
* France
* Germany
* Mexico
* China
* Taiwan
* United States
* Switzerland[6]

Languages|

* English
* Spanish

Box office| $588,713[7]

Memoria is a 2021 fantasy drama mystery film written, directed and co-produced by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, starring Tilda Swinton, Elkin Díaz, Jeanne Balibar, Juan Pablo Urrego and Daniel Giménez Cacho.

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 15 July 2021, and was given a very limited theatrical release in the United States from 26 December 2021. It was selected as the Colombian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, though it was not nominated.[8]

## Plot

[edit]

Jessica, a Scottish expatriate to Colombia, awakens one night to a single loud boom. She appears to be the only one who can hear it. The next day, she goes to visit her sister, Karen, who is ill and in a hospital in Bogotá. Jessica operates a market-flower business in Medellín, and is curious to learn more about an excavation project being carried out in the same hospital where her sister is being treated.

Still bothered by the sound, which she hears repeatedly and which prevents her from sleeping, Jessica seeks the help of a young sound engineer named Hernán to recreate the sound. Though unsuccessful at first, the two eventually approximate the sound, and begin a friendly relationship. Right before they are to take a trip together, Jessica looks for Hernán at his sound engineering studio, only to discover that he is not there and no one working there knows who he is.

Finding herself growing increasingly uncomfortable in the company of her now-healthy sister, Jessica ventures out into the countryside alone, where she encounters a middle-aged fish scaler, also named Hernán. This Hernán lives a secluded life, but he speaks frankly with Jessica. They discuss his connection to the earth, his sleep, and their memories. Inside his home, Jessica learns to connect with her memories in a similar fashion to Hernán, and at one point while holding hands, appears to have her memories intertwine with his.

Jessica then approaches an open window and hears the booming sound again, but seems to have grown to accept it and even appreciate it. Suddenly, a camouflaged alien spacecraft rises out of the jungle, leaving a loud sonic boom in its wake. A radio broadcast is heard reporting a mild earthquake that, unbeknownst to the general population, coincided with the take-off of the spacecraft. The broadcast goes on to say that the quake has unearthed previously inaccessible areas that the aforementioned excavation project was searching for.

## Cast

[edit]

* Tilda Swinton as Jessica Holland
* Elkin Díaz as older Hernán Bedoya
* Jeanne Balibar as Agnes Cerkinsky
* Juan Pablo Urrego as younger Hernán Bedoya
* Daniel Giménez Cacho as Juan Ospina
* Agnes Brekke as Karen Holland
* Jerónimo Barón as Mateo Ospina
* Constanza Gutiérrez as Dr. Constanza

## Production

[edit]

On MUBI Podcast in 2023, Swinton mentioned that her and Weerasethakul conjured the idea for Memoria over ten years ago. Weerasethakul also mentions he had begun the script for the film back in 2013.[9]

In March 2018, it was announced Tilda Swinton had joined the cast of the film, with Apichatpong Weerasethakul directing from the screenplay he wrote.[9] In August 2019, Jeanne Balibar, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Juan Pablo Urrego, and Elkin Diaz joined the cast of the film.[10]

Principal photography began in August 2019, in Colombia.[11]

## Release

[edit]

The film premiered at the 74th Cannes Film Festival on 15 July 2021,[12] and was awarded the Jury Prize.[13]

Neon acquired US distribution rights in November 2019,[14] and announced a "never-ending" release in the United States, in which it would be "moving from city to city, theater to theater, week by week, playing in front of only one solitary audience at any given time", beginning on 26 December 2021 at New York's IFC Center.[15] Neon later adopted a new release strategy in the US, announcing a simultaneous release that would play in front of many audiences in multiple cities beginning 1 April 2022, with more locations across the US as well as in Canada.[16]

The film was widely released by co-producer and distributor Sovereign Films in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 14 January 2022.[17] Unlike the US theatrical release, the film was released as a regular theatrical release with simultaneous screenings in many cinemas across the UK.[18]

The film was screened at a special screening at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne on 9 December 2021,[19] and went on general release in Australian cinemas on 9 April 2022, distributed by Madman Entertainment.[20]

Common Move acquired Thai distribution rights to the film and released it to cinemas across Thailand on 3 March.[21]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

The film was initially released in one movie theatre in the United States and Canada. It made $6,797 in its opening weekend and $18,122 in its second.[22][23]

### Critical response

[edit]

Memoria received critical acclaim. As of July 2022[update] on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes it has a 90% score from 135 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The consensus states: "Memoria finds writer-director Apichatpong Weerasethakul branching out into English-language filmmaking without forsaking any of his own lyrical cinematic vocabulary".[24] in January 2022 Metacritic reported a score of 91, based on 34 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[25] Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum placed the film on his "Best Films of 2022" list.[26] In June 2025, IndieWire ranked the film at number 11 on its list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)."[27]

## Accolades

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2021  | 74th Cannes Film Festival | Jury Prize | Memoria | Won  | [28]
Chicago International Film Festival | Gold Hugo  | Won  | [29]
London Film Critics Circle Awards 2021 | Film of the Year  | Nominated  | [30]

## See also

[edit]

* List of submissions to the 94th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
* List of Colombian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Impromptu (2021)". UniFrance. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
2. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (15 July 2021). "Tilda Swinton Starrer 'Memoria' Sells To MUBI In Key Markets; Buyer Also Takes 'Prayers For The Stolen' From The Match Factory — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
3. ^ "Memoria". 30 March 2022.
4. ^ "記憶－限定放映 Memoria - 迷誠品".
5. ^ "Cineteca Nacional MEXICO".
6. ^ Lumholdt, Jan (16 July 2021). "Review: Memoria". Cineuropa. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
7. ^ "Memoria (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
8. ^ "'Memoria' representará a Colombia en los Premios Oscar 2022". El Nuevo Siglo. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
9. ^ a b Nordine, Michael (15 March 2018). "Tilda Swinton to Star in Palme d'Or Winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 'Memoria'". IndieWire. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
10. ^ Lang, Jaime (27 August 2019). "See the First Set Photos of Tilda Swinton, Apichatpong Weerasethakul 'Memoria' Shoot (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
11. ^ Raup, Jordan (27 August 2019). "Apichatpong Weerasethakul Begins Shooting 'Memoria' Starring Tilda Swinton". The Film Stage. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
12. ^ "The Films of the Official Selection 2021". Cannes Film Festival. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
13. ^ "MEMORIA - Festival de Cannes". 16 July 2021.
14. ^ Grater, Tom (7 November 2019). "AFM Action: Neon Buys Tilda Swinton Arthouse Pic 'Memoria'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
15. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (5 October 2021). "'Memoria': Neon Sets Never-Ending Theatrical Tour for Weerasethakul's Latest, One Screen at a Time". IndieWire. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
16. ^ "Locations". Memoria. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
17. ^ "Memoria (2021) – Film Review". flickfeast. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
18. ^ "Memoria". 7 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
19. ^ "Memoria – Book launch & screening - 9 Dec 2021". ACMI. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
20. ^ "Memoria". Palace Nova. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
21. ^ "'Memoria' เปิดตัวรอบปฐมทัศน์ในไทย โดย 'เจ้ย อภิชาติพงศ์' และ 'ทิลดา สวินตัน'". bangkokbiznews (in Thai). 25 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
22. ^ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 52". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
23. ^ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 53". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
24. ^ "Memoria". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
25. ^ "Memoria". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
26. ^ "La Internacional Cinéfila Poll: Jonathan Rosenbaum: Best Films of 2022". www.yearendlists.com. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
27. ^ "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)". 16 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
28. ^ Cannes Film Festival (7 July 2021). "All the 74th Festival de Cannes Awards". Newsis. Naver. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
29. ^ Chicago Internaitional Film Festival (24 October 2021). "Festival Award Winners International Feature Film Competition". Newsis. Naver. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
30. ^ Yossman, K.J. (16 December 2021). "Female Filmmakers Shine at London Critics' Circle Film Awards With Nominations for Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Joanna Hogg". Variety. Retrieved 29 May 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Memoria at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films of Apichatpong Weerasethakul

* Mysterious Object at Noon (2000)
* Blissfully Yours (2002)
* The Adventure of Iron Pussy (2003)
* Tropical Malady (2004)
* Syndromes and a Century (2006)
* Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)
* Mekong Hotel (2012)
* Cemetery of Splendour (2015)
* Ten Years Thailand (2018)
* Memoria (2021)
* The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021)

* v
* t
* e

Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize

1946–1973|

* The Battle of the Rails (1946)
* All About Eve (1951)
* We Are All Murderers (1952)
* Knave of Hearts (1954)
* Lost Continent (1955)
* The Mystery of Picasso (1956)
* Kanał / The Seventh Seal (1957)
* Mon Oncle (1958)
* Stars (1959)
* L'Avventura / Odd Obsession (1960)
* Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)
* The Trial of Joan of Arc / L'Eclisse (1962)
* Harakiri /  The Cassandra Cat (1963)
* Woman in the Dunes (1964)
* Kwaidan (1965)
* Alfie (1966)
* Z (1969)
* The Falcons / The Strawberry Statement (1970)
* Love / Joe Hill (1971)
* Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
* The Hourglass Sanatorium / The Invitation (1973)
* La prima Angélica (1974)

1980–2000|

* The Constant Factor (1980)
* Kharij (1983)
* Colonel Redl (1985)
* Thérèse (1986)
* Yeelen / Shinran: Path to Purity (1987)
* A Short Film About Killing (1988)
* Jesus of Montreal (1989)
* Hidden Agenda (1990)
* Europa / Out of Life (1991)
* Dream of Light / An Independent Life (1992)
* The Puppetmaster / Raining Stones (1993)
* La Reine Margot (1994)
* Don't Forget You're Going to Die (1995)
* Crash (1996)
* Western (1997)
* Class Trip / The Celebration (1998)
* The Letter (1999)
* Blackboards / Songs from the Second Floor (2000)

2002–present|

* Divine Intervention (2002)
* At Five in the Afternoon (2003)
* Tropical Malady (2004)
* Shanghai Dreams (2005)
* Red Road (2006)
* Persepolis / Silent Light (2007)
* Il divo (2008)
* Thirst / Fish Tank (2009)
* A Screaming Man (2010)
* Polisse (2011)
* The Angels' Share (2012)
* Like Father, Like Son (2013)
* Mommy / Goodbye to Language (2014)
* The Lobster (2015)
* American Honey (2016)
* Loveless (2017)
* Capernaum (2018)
* Bacurau / Les Misérables (2019)
* Ahed's Knee / Memoria (2021)
* EO / The Eight Mountains (2022)
* Fallen Leaves (2023)
* Emilia Pérez (2024)
* Sirāt / Sound of Falling (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Colombian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

1980–2000|

* The Latin Immigrant (1980)
* A Man of Principle (1984)
* A Time to Die (1986)
* Confessing to Laura (1991)
* The Strategy of the Snail (1994)
* Oedipus Mayor (1996)
* The Debt (1997)
* The Rose Seller (1998)
* Time Out (1999)

2001-2010|

* Our Lady of the Assassins (2001)
* The Invisible Children (2002)
* La Primera Noche (2003)
* El Rey (2004)
* Wandering Shadows (2005)
* A Ton of Luck (2006)
* Satanás (2007)
* Dog Eat Dog (2008)
* The Wind Journeys (2009)
* Crab Trap (2010)

2011-2020|

* The Colors of the Mountain (2011)
* The Snitch Cartel (2012)
* La Playa DC (2013)
* Mateo (2014)
* Embrace of the Serpent (2015)
* Alias Maria (2016)
* Guilty Men (2017)
* Birds of Passage (2018)
* Monos (2019)
* Forgotten We'll Be (2020)

2021-present|

* Memoria (2021)
* The Kings of the World (2022)
* Un Varón (2023)
* La Suprema (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo

1960s|

* The Lollipop Cover (1965)
* Bushido, Samurai Saga (1966)
* Here Is Your Life (1967)
* Innocence Unprotected (1968)
* Who Saw Him Die? (1969)

1970s|

* The Green Wall (1970)
* Mon oncle Antoine (1971)
* Bleak Moments (1972)
* Morgiana (1973)
* Pirosmani (1974)
* The Promised Land (1975)
* Kings of the Road (1976)
* The Hunters (1977)
* To an Unknown God (1978)
* Angi Vera (1979)

1980s|

* Camera Buff (1980)
* Marianne and Juliane (1981)
* Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
* El Sur (1983)
* Khandhar (1984)
* The Official Story (1985)
* Welcome in Vienna (1986)
* Whooping Cough (1987)
* Little Vera (1988)
* Zerograd (1989)

1990s|

* Ju Dou (1990)
* Delicatessen (1991)
* Dream of Light (1992)
* Twinkle (1993)
* 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994)
* Maborosi (1995)
* Ridicule (1996)
* The Winter Guest (1997)
* The Hole (1998)
* Sachs' Disease (1999)

2000s|

* Amores perros (2000)
* Fat Girl (2001)
* Madame Satã (2002)
* Crimson Gold (2003)
* Kontroll (2004)
* My Nikifor (2005)
* Fireworks Wednesday (2006)
* Silent Light (2007)
* Hunger (2008)
* Mississippi Damned (2009)

2010s|

* How I Ended This Summer (2010)
* Le Havre (2011)
* Holy Motors (2012)
* My Sweet Pepper Land (2013)
* The President (2014)
* A Childhood (2015)
* Sieranevada (2016)
* A Sort of Family (2017)
* Happy as Lazzaro (2018)
* Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

2020s|

* Sweat (2020)
* Memoria (2021)
* Godland (2022)
* Explanation for Everything (2023)

*[Ref.]: References
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template