The Memory Blocks
Beautiful, humanistic and profound, The Memory Blocks feels like the apotheosis of acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Kotting’s collaborations with his daughter Eden. Set in some almost forgotten factory, a plucky band of neurodivergent workers help Eden navigate the murky waters of memory, while a motley bunch of fantastical figures accompany her somewhere over the rainbow.
Journeys and walks have been a recurring feature in Kotting’s oeuvre and have often been embarked upon with a knowing awareness of the ritualistic nature of the activity. Incorporating elements of 3D animation and super-8 footage from the family archive, the film digs deeper into an interior landscape as it interrogates the uncertainties around memory.
Memory is not just a personal thing, it can be collective. Think of the recorded events that have occurred in our absence which make up our memories. But perception is also unreliable. So can we even be sure we have witnessed what has happened? What Kotting’s film expresses beautifully, is how desperately fragile memory is. Even so, it is best to flow with the flights of fancy.
Perhaps the greatest certainty in the dream-life-film which unfolds before our eyes can be attributed to Eden: “We are searching for ourselves in each other.”
Followed by a Q&A with the director.
Watch our Senior Programmer, Don O’Mahony talk about why he picked this film as one of his must-see movies of CIFF 2025, here.
Cork International Film Festival is delighted to return to its Principal Venue, The Arc Cinema on North Main St, Cork, for its 70th Festival edition, Thursday 6th to Sunday 16th November 2025.
The Arc Cinema Cork is home to The GATE Screen — a space dedicated to preserving and celebrating the legacy of the beloved former Gate Cinema — and an ideal spot for meeting fellow festival goers in between screenings. The GATE Screen features luxurious double sofa seats and tables, creating an intimate and sophisticated viewing experience. It is dedicated to showcasing arthouse films, including independent and local productions, foreign and Irish language titles throughout the year.
