Written by Andreas Babiolakis

I wasn’t in love with Maite Alberdi’s previous documentary, Academy Award nominee The Mole Agent, because I found it to be too safe as it tiptoed around its serious subject matter to the point that it devalues what it is even trying to project. You’d think that a film like The Eternal Memory, given its subject matter surrounding the horrors of Alzheimer’s Disease, would be strike two, but I’m happy to report that this documentary is far stronger. A similar warmth emanates from this feature, but it feels far more level headed in what it is trying to say and how to best go about it. The heart stems from the couple at the core of The Eternal Memory: Chilean television journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife actor Paulina Urrutia. Paulina takes care of Augusto as his condition worsens. It feels like The Eternal Memory was made to not just capture the curse of this ailment but to be as a keepsake for this couple so Paulina can remind Augusto how much she loves him again and again.

After twenty-five years together, the hardships that this loving couple faces are highly difficult to watch. The Eternal Memory showcases the extent of Augusto’s Alzheimer’s by showing televised footage of him in his prime. We get a glimpse of who he was, his importance in relaying the news to the public, and what he adores, including his fondness for reading; we continuously cut to the disparity found within the present, including his soul-crushing realization that he can no longer enjoy his enormous book collection. As Augusto’s condition dips, he and Paulina face a new crisis in the form of the pandemic (which occurred while The Eternal Memory was being filmed, so there are quite a few perspectives on how that can affect an already sensitive situation found here as well). Even so, The Eternal Memory saves time to pinpoint the love that this couple shares with one another, reminding you that this is a focus on adoration and not the dissolving of a union because of one partner’s illness. The Eternal Memory gets sad, but its beauty is even stronger.

It may be difficult to not shed a tear while watching *The Eternal Memory*.

As The Eternal Memory poses the question of what will happen when Augusto forgets Paulina entirely, the relationship being featured becomes all the more apparent: Paulina takes care of Augusto because she loves him, not because she expects him to love her back. As we peruse through old family footage and recordings, it’s clear that we are to remember the lifetime that Augusto is no longer recollecting. We learn who he was, refusing to let his disease define him despite its effect on how he functions daily. We become acquainted with two major Chilean figures and the humbleness of how they live and love together. We get quite a transparent study on the severities of Alzheimer’s. The Eternal Memory will most likely make you shed a tear, be it because of its saddening subject matter or the beauty brought forth by the notion that life is what we make of it. Paulina will cherish Augusto no matter what because he is still here. The Eternal Memory is a championing of unconditional love. It’s the right kind of sweet within a heartbreaking documentary that strives to never be too challenging (but, unlike The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory prioritizes its seriousness and darker tone a lot more to great effect).

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.