In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Irish Street Artist Asbestos and Ross Killeen, Director of Don’t Forget to Remember.
Don’t Forget to Remember follows the Irish street artist Asbestos as he and his family learn to navigate his mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and cope with her fading memories. The film is at once a moving portrait of one woman’s memory loss but also a celebration of a family coming together in the face of this condition. Throughout this process, Killeen turns the lens on Asbestos, investigating his artistic process and examining the role that art can play as a tool to heal throughout even the most turbulent times of our life.
In cinemas from 6th September 2024.
https://vimeo.com/motherlandIE
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Ross Killeen is a film director based in Dublin. He founded the award winning production company, Motherland which works across film, commercials and music videos. Ross’ directorial debut feature documentary Love Yourself Today, centred on the music of Damien Dempsey and had a nationwide cinematic release in Ireland. The film was nominated for an IFTA and also played all over the UK, New York and Australia. Brian Eno quoted in relation to the film “I have seen no better film about the social value of art.” Killeen’s other films include 99 Problems and Becoming men. 99 Problems was a short documentary which looked at the murky underworld of the Dublin ice cream business. The film premiered at Tribeca film festival in New York and won
the audience award at Dublin International Film Festival. It also played at Sheffield Film Festival and Raindance in the UK. Becoming Men was Killeen’s first short film and put his company, Motherland on the map as a maker of authentic documentary films that resonate with an audience. Ross has two more feature documentaries in development.
Asbestos: As a prolific Irish artist, Asbestos has been producing street art since 2003, utilising masks to convey narratives and elicit emotions.
His works have been displayed worldwide, and he was nominated for “Best International Street Art 2021” for a mural that drew attention to the housing crisis in Ireland. In 2022 he collaborated with the band Idles at Roskilde festival in Denmark on a project called “I Beat Myself Up” where they smashed piñatas off their heads to encourage people to talk about their mental health.
His art delves into society’s fixation with self- image while using anonymity to become more transparent and candid in his creations. Notably, he reveals his own vulnerabilities, providing insight into what it means to be human. By opening up to the public his work starts a conversation with the viewer making their contribution essential to his work and giving them a voice in it.
World Alzheimer’s Month takes place every September and World Alzheimer’s Day is on 21 September each year. It’s a global opportunity to raise dementia awareness and support people affected by the disease.
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