Memories are precarious things. They can be elusive and fragmentary, especially when up against the sands of time. Our minds are tricksters, constantly finding new and imaginative ways to pull the wool over our eyes. That’s why we, as humans, document our experiences; from the early days of cave painting to today’s obsession with social media and selfies. These pictures act as aide memoires to help us remember those important moments.
One of the most obvious ways we’ve historically captured those special family moments is on home video. In 1995, the Rio Tercero Military Munitions Factory exploded, reigning death and destruction down on the inhabitants of the city. It was subsequently found to be a deliberate act by a corrupt government. At the time, twelve-year-old Natalia Garayalde documented the impact on her home. Twenty-five years later she rediscovered the tapes and Splinters was born.
Splinters interweaves the curiosity of a young mind with a commentary on the Menem government, placing both in the past and present. It’s an extremely inquisitive film which captures the love a daughter has for a father and places that within the wider socio-political context of the world around them. Splinters is a fragmented and fascinating film which documents a tragedy and a travesty through the eyes of youthful innocence.
Splinters screens at Sheffield Doc/Fest.
