Introducing Memoirs Film

We specialise in producing high quality, filmed life-story documentary videos about people's own life story, the story of a deceased family member, the history of a family and biographies of a friend or admired individual.

Please enjoy watching this introductory film and exploring our site.

And please do contact us to discuss your requirements when you are ready.

Why Have a Filmed Memoir?

Anyone who has ever lost a parent, a close relative or friend knows how it feels to wish that you could see that person again, hear them speak and enjoy their own unique way of communicating. There are often otherwise many unanswered questions about people’s lives after they are gone. A video memoir provides a uniquely accessible way to leave your story behind and to share more with others than would otherwise be left as little more than fragmented memories and fading photographs.

For the interviewee, the process of recording a filmed memoir and sharing their life-story with an experienced interviewer, can be a deeply cathartic and fulfilling experience.

Some have said that, having completed the process, a sense of unrealised obligation to their family felt as if it had been lifted from their shoulders. It feels somehow liberating to pull together the many strands of a life lived and to reflect on the consequences, outcomes and connections between events.

There is often a deep sense of closure that settles afterwards.

Our own life story is perhaps the most important story that we know and we, a partner or very close friend are the only ones who can tell it accurately and precisely; how it was and how it really felt at the time.

A filmed memoir is the most authoritative and informative account of a unique life that can be created. Words on a page can be interpreted in many ways but a film delivered in an individuals own way, in their own words, with all the nuances of their own delivery, is truly authentic.

"Currently over 60% of UK weddings have a wedding video - capturing special memories of a single day."

"For the cost of a modest wedding video we can produce a TV-quality film of an entire-life story."

Memoirs Film. Source: The UK Wedding Report 2021 by Bridebook

Example Projects

Clips from a few of the projects we have completed recently and which our interviewees have very kindly allowed us to share publicly.

Lucienne's Filmed Memoir

Lucienne was born before World War 2 and grew up as a child in occupied France. She shared many memories of that time including one within this compilation of extracts from her full filmed memoir; the memory of her parents hiding their Jewish friends, the Abraham Family, in the cellar beneath the cinema that they owned.

Lucienne's memoir was filmed in five 25-30 minute segments. The final edited film is 1 Hour and 32 minutes in length. Her daughter described it as something she will quite simply 'treasure for the rest of her life.'

In the first of these two clips Sophie, Lucienne's daughter, explores what she and her mother gained from their filmed memoir.

In the second clip, Sophie explains the production process and the enjoyment they derived from the process of making their film.

John's Memoirs Film

John grew up in the pre-war and war years of the mid 1930s and 1940s. His video memoir recalls those years and his family's extensive history.

Chris - Memorial Film

Chris explains why he decided to work with Memoirs Film to produce a memorial / tribute film to his late wife Sheila.

Eyeballing Hitler!

The extraordinary story of Sunny Jim and his clandestine trips to Nazi Germany to gather vital industrial information before World War 2.

Titanic Family History

Mark tells the story of his Great Grandfather who had a ticket to sail to New York on the ill-fated HMS Titanic.

KEY STEPS

The Key Steps in Producing Your Memoirs Film.

1

Filming

We film an in-depth interview with you (and/or your chosen subject/s) - usually in 25-30 minute filming sessions with breaks in between.

2

Editing

We edit the filmed footage adding intro' graphics and background music, titles, photographs and video clips (if available).

3

Delivery

We deliver your final professionally edited, film on USB drive and securely online.

The Making of a Filmed Memoir

Michael Goode had attempted to write a biography of his grandfather's life and family history but realised a filmed memoir could offer so much more.

Here he explains his motivations and why he feels it will be such a 'gift for his children' and grandchildren in the future.

Filmed Memoirs - Bringing Families Together

Watching and listening to a parent or grandparent telling their story inevitably draws family members to spend time together as they gain a better understanding of that person and can relate to their life experiences. The photographs and narrative within the film enable the younger generations to see their older relatives as they were at their age and in younger years and see themselves reflected in those experiences.

Robin Horsley of Memoirs Film shares his thoughts on this and some related points:

It is often the case that only when people become older do they become interested in their parents', grandparents' and ancestors' lives - but filmed memoirs can, perhaps surprisingly, very often change that.

Robin Horsley, Memoirs Film:

"We didn’t anticipate this when we started Memoirs. But we immediately observed that the younger generations in families were, in some ways, the most inclined to watch the films that we create."

"Perhaps they wouldn’t necessarily sit down for hours and ask question after question of their older relatives. But they would very keenly watch a TV quality film in which those questions were being answered."

"And then of course.. they wanted to spend more time with them."

"To understand who we are as individuals, I think we need to know where we came from. Hearing and seeing parents or grandparents sharing their story and reaching back into history for recollections of older family members gives people a greater sense of who they are - and therefore greater sense of grounding and well-being."

"Many of us have emotional baggage as a consequence of our upbringing or events that affected our lives in childhood. Understanding our parents or grandparents story can often be the key to coming to terms with issues that impact or limit our lives."

A filmed memoir can also be a lasting way to pass on advice or wisdom gained from life experience, a way to forge stronger family bonds, and a way to give family members a sense of belonging and self-understanding.

But whatever the reasons are for deciding to produce a filmed memoir, they are all in essence a unique collection of golden memories to be treasured and enjoyed by potentially countless generations of future descendants.