peter
“My grandmother was a real storyteller with an incredible memory. She had some wonderful stories that I always thought would make a great book. While I was studying film I had the idea of making a video of her just telling stories. I thought it was the kind of project that I would have time to create and I never really rushed it. But because of that, the day never came. She got Alzheimer’s and her personality faded away so quickly… She had some ups and downs and I recorded some footage in a rush before we lost her, but it wasn’t even close to her real self. It’s a rare moment when you realise: ‘Oh God, that’s gone. She is not going to come back and whatever memory we have is all that’s left’. It was a horrible feeling of a missed opportunity. We live in a day and age where creating a video is as easy as scratching your nose, but somehow we are not using this opportunity fully. What would you give to have a video of your great-grandparents simply talking about their lives their dreams and their memories? What would your son give to have a video of your mother, that one day he can show to his grandchildren? It’s not only about videos, more about having a meaningful conversation where you ask questions about their happiest memories and greatest struggles and their advice for life…
Our missed opportunity inspired us to help others, my Mum and I started helping friends and family record their stories on film. It started as nothing fancy. Just them sitting in their living room reminiscing about the past. We started with no ‘business’ in mind, just a hobby really but we loved every moment of creation. But then more and more people were asking us to film their grandparents, or their elderly relatives, and even their kids. So I created a website and started telling people about our new idea. We called ourselves ‘The Memory Collectors’.
Find out more:
http://www.thememorycollectors.com