Peter Sarsgaard on his character Saul in Memory: ‘Dementia is his condition, but it’s not his character’

Memory is a poignant drama feature that deals sensitively and subtly with the tragic reality of dementia and how it affects the loved ones of the afflicted person.

Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain in Memory

Directed by the Mexican auteur Michael Franco, who was responsible for After Lucia, which won at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, Memory stars Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain as the leading pair in a family drama that is all about trauma, lost memories, and connection. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2023 in September and earned Peter Sarsgaard the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his exceptional portrayal of a man afflicted with dementia.

In a candid discussion with Variety, Sarsgaard revealed how he wanted to make this portrayal of dementia different. As he rightfully asserted, “Dementia is his condition, but it’s not his character. This is a guy who has a limited amount of time in his life, and he knows it. But he’s still quite viable throughout the movie.”

Sarsgaard also revealed that one major thing he liked about the character was its positivity, his character Saul is not one to stay sad and in bed. After all, he is suffering from dementia and not depression. He further shared that as he had previously worked with a doctor who was associated with New York’s Reimagining Dementia group, he had been lucky enough to have and portray his different point of view regarding the crippling memory snatcher.

Bill Sarsgaard also candidly disclosed the unique way the film was shot and himself termed it ‘unusual’. He explained how most of the scenes were one-shot takes, that were long and unbroken. Some scenes were even shot in one take only. Interestingly, the film’s editing took place in the building in which most of the shooting was covered.

As a result, director Michael Franco “could literally go and watch it and then come back” to tell Sarsgaard and Chastain if they need to adjust something or do a scene all over again. However, the talented actor admitted that this method did give them a real sense of continuity, instead of disrupting it.

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