Games

The most difficult movie to see of the past decade is now streaming

BBG News

As a long-time gamer and film enthusiast, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia and excitement when I hear that unconventional gems like “Memoria” are finally becoming more accessible to audiences.

Surprisingly, “Memoria” with Tilda Swinton wasn’t supposed to show up on your television or smartphone screens. This intriguing blend of ghost stories, science fiction, slow cinema, and travelogues was not expected to be accessible for streaming. Yet, here it is, ready for you on MUBI.

Instead of trying to describe the inexplicable storyline of “Memoria,” I’ll give you two important pieces of information before you watch it. First, “Memoria” received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, making it one of the most highly anticipated films of 2021. Watching this movie in 2021 was a deliberate and challenging experience.

Back in 2019, before the world got hit by the pandemic and long before “Memoria” graced the screens of Cannes Film Festival, NEON, the U.S. film distributor, made an exciting announcement for me as a gamer and film enthusiast. They shared their plan to release “Memoria” in a way that felt like a traveling art exhibit. The movie would hop from city to city, theater to theater, week by week, playing only for one lucky audience at each stop.

The director of “Memoria,” Apichatpong Weerasethakul, expressed that the cinema experience is vital or even essential for this film. Let’s immerse ourselves in the darkness and indulge in our dreams collectively. Neon did not intend to distribute the movie for home video viewing or streaming online.

I was fortunate enough to catch a viewing of “Memoria” during its 2021 screenings at my local art house. The film stayed for about a week or two before continuing on its tour. This thought-provoking and captivating movie left some viewers yearning for slumber, even more so than a nightcap of NyQuil. However, those who persevered and remained alert were generously rewarded with a deeply satisfying ending.

The film’s intense focus on sound, whether through its plot or direction, effectively utilized theater-quality sound systems. However, I couldn’t help but sense that this uniqueness came with a drawback: limited accessibility. Given my childhood in the Midwest with limited exposure to art house screenings, the distribution seemed like an unintended setback for film enthusiasts.

It wasn’t meant for you to see “Memoria” on your TV initially, but I’m thrilled that you can experience it now! This is a great compromise. We’ve had the advantage of its innovative years-long theatrical release. And now, anyone can enjoy the movie. A small request, though – please use good quality headphones while watching.

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2024-07-16 23:48

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