Exploring the mystery of memories
Liz and Darren both came to the film curious about the resilience of memory. While directing the documentary “Coma,” Liz saw fMRI scans light up when patients in minimally conscious states heard familiar voices or were shown images of loved ones. Years later, Darren encountered footage of a former ballerina with Alzheimer’s who, upon hearing “Swan Lake,” instinctively danced the choreography from her wheelchair.
These touchstones led the creative team to reminiscence therapy, the clinical practice of using sensory cues like songs, family stories, and old photographs to stimulate memories, spark conversations, and rekindle emotional connections. But what happens when a memory isn’t attached to such cues?
To recreate Burt and Ethelle’s unrecorded past, the filmmakers partnered with my team. Sitting alongside us, Ethelle became an active co-creator, correcting the curve of a staircase or the shape of a shoe heel.
Capturing human essence with AI
We worked alongside the team at Primordial Soup, leveraging emerging AI models as an art medium and toolkit, guiding the technology with human direction every step of the way.
Bridging the gaps between the missing details required a two-part technical approach designed to preserve emotional truth.
- Image restoration: The team used generative models to restore black-and-white photos of Burt and Ethelle from their youth. The restored photographs helped to ensure that subsequent recreations remained faithful to their subjects.