Remembering

Remembering is a short film that situates a woman and the power of the imagination at its centre. Written and directed by Elijah Allan-Blitz and produced by Academy Award winner Brie Larson, this delightful short film situates a woman with an idea amongst a vast and unprecedented land of ideas. An exciting twist with this short film is that it is accompanied by a companion augmented reality (AR) app that allows users to scan their TV with a handheld device to watch an extension of the film. Innovative and imaginative of equal measure, this enchanted land uses technology to advance its story and leads to a cleverly fun experience.

Larson stars as a woman within a fairytale-esque cottage writing down her ideas as if she is creating a story. It is peaceful and tranquil as she sits pondering what to write next – and then she forgets. Suddenly, the story begins to follow the forgotten idea who is found by the writer’s inner child and the two embark upon a journey through The World of Imagination. The young child, performed by the brilliant Dusty Peak, seeks to help ‘the lost idea’ be recovered by its creator. As the two embark upon their journey, they encounter visions and a world that dreams are made of. Viewers can envisage to their hearts content how to involve themselves within this plot which will definitely make the AR app compelling.

The beautiful CGI effects within each scene used to create a fantastical landscape make this a very sweet and heartfelt short film. Not typical for a CGI film, the actors were able to see this image projected around them as they performed the scene, thereby creating a deeper performance – as though they too exist within the world. As the protagonist is shown an unbelievable natural world, only accessible through human thought, questions of time, reality and imagination are confronted and left to the viewer to interpret themselves. Allan-Blitz successfully conceptualises the intense forces of individual imagination and how ideas are unique to an individual. In observing the wonders in front of her, the ‘idea’ character learns more about the imaginative world where every idea and imagined thought comes when it has been forgotten. Despite being short, story is open to vast interpretations.

Brie Larson commands the screen even in her ‘idea’ character form. It is obvious that this is a short film concept that both she and Allan-Blitz feel passionately about. The process of remembering and the protagonist getting back in touch with her younger self demonstrates how much the short has been considered from the perspective of a child. It feels real – totally immersive, allowing viewers and consumers to positively consider interacting more with this type of film.

The watch-along feature that accompanies Remembering is relatively new for Disney+ customers who can simultaneously watch the film and interact with it on their smart phone. Whilst it is an intriguing development to ‘second-screen’ culture, it does not take away from the impact of short film itself. Standalone, this short film is still a positive and warming watch that families and dreamers alike can enjoy. With the added bonus of AR, Allan-Blitz and Larson have contributed to finding new ways to experience film, watching it evolve, and allowing for immersive viewing to become more of a family friendly viewing experience.

Remembering is available to stream on Disney+ now.