Memory Palace

The film opens with the definition of the “memory palace technique,” introducing the relationship between familiar spaces and vivid memories.

Part one takes place in Steven’s childhood home, where he reminisces on his desire to leave his suburban upbringing for bigger and better things. It sets the scene with past-promises uttered in the dining room, notes jotted down in high school, old trophies and books representing his parents’ understanding of the “American Dream,” and glimmers of Steven’s early interest in filmmaking.

Part two begins in Steven’s San Francisco apartment, a manifestation of his dream to leave home and begin a life of his own. Steven muses that his imagination had taken him so far, yet he wants something more. A montage of SF memories flash. The sequence ends back in Steven’s childhood home, where he’s packing again.

In part three, Steven visits Shanghai, China with his mom and his brother. It’s his first time returning in over 20 years–since infanthood–and his first “real” time meeting his extended family. His mom takes them to her own childhood home, which has since been replaced by a retail strip.

Part four begins in Steven’s middle school basketball courts. He reflects on his family’s separation in the states–how that distance has left him with a wistfulness and longing for togetherness. He captures a vérité sequence of his 24th birthday celebration, a quaint family gathering over a single slice of cake.

The epilogue ends with a reflection on the suburban sky, its constant beauty amid the fast-paced changes of this world. It can be interpreted as a metaphor for his relationship with his immigrant parents, how their culture lives on in them, seemingly unchanging, an unspoken love that’s always there. Of course, this is open to interpretation.

Credits
Writer: Steven Gong
Producer: Steven Gong
Executive Producer: Steven Gong
Director of Photography: Steven Gong
Editor: Steven Gong
Production Designer: Steven Gong
Composer: Bowen Jiang
Sound Designer: Steven Gong
Music: Bowen Jiang

Plays in

FROM VISIONS TO REEL: LIVING LEGACY

Welcome to your life: Google translate, pastries, dildos, suburbia, calls to your mom, kung fu, deceitful karaoke, and being the last of your kind. Reflect on what you have been given and what it means to leave a legacy of your own.