All Water Has a Perfect Memory

Directed by Natalia Almada

19 minutes / Color
English; Spanish / English subtitles
Release: 2001
Copyright: 2001

Included on 5-disc box set Personal and Political: The Films of Natalia Almada.

ALL WATER HAS A PERFECT MEMORY is a poignant experimental documentary that explores the effects of tragedy and remembrance on a bi-cultural family. At seven months old, filmmaker Natalia Almada lost her two-year-old sister, Ana Lynn, in a drowning accident at her childhood home in Mexico. Inspired by an essay written by Toni Morrison, in which she speaks of the Mississippi River’s ability to conjure memories, this moving piece serves as a meditation on the cultural and gender differences between the filmmaker’s North American mother and Mexican father in the face of their daughter’s death. Through personal recollections narrated by each family member, including her brother, Almada incorporates Super-8 home movies, photographs and fabricated images to weave together a touching and moving visual memory of Ana Lynn.

“A masterfully crafted documentary of sheer power and beauty...captures the essence of pain, loss, remembrance, and cultural differences.” —David Kwok Programmer, Tribeca Film Festival

“Powerful imagery.” —Rebecca Rodrigues, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Poignant…(Almada) creates a touching and visual memory.” —Vistas Film Festival

“Stunningly beautiful. Its imagery is mesmerizing, its voices haunting…highly recommended.” —Visual Anthropology Review

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Credits

A film by Natalia Almada

Select Accolades

  • Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Short Film, Cleveland International Film Festival 2001
  • Gold Plaque Award, Chicago International Film Festival 2001
  • Best Short Documentary, Tribeca Film Festival 2001
  • Sundance Film Festival 2001
  • Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2001

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