Taskovski Films Sales has picked up “Light Memories,” which will have its world premiere in the international competition section of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
In the film, which is the feature directorial debut of photographer Misha Vallejo Prut, photography, fractured memories and family secrets converge in an exploration of the effects of absent father figures in a family.
Vallejo Prut uses his grandfather’s camera to recreate a family album, bridging the gap to a man he never met.
“Exploring absent father figures, he reclaims spaces once denied to his family. Through his lens, secrets and violence surface, yet memory’s fluidity offers a chance for redemption,” according to a statement.
Vallejo Prut said: “This film delves into family legacy and identity, uncovering deep-rooted societal issues that many will find both thought-provoking and deeply relatable.”
Irena Taskovski, CEO and head of acquisitions at Taskovski Films, said “Light Memories” is a “mesmerizing journey into the depths of family secrets, identity, and intergenerational trauma.”
She added the film “seamlessly blends photography and cinema, inviting audiences worldwide to reflect on the lasting effects of paternal absence, racism, and social discrimination.”
The film is produced by Mayfe Ortega Haboud and co-produced by Isabela Parra Puente for Caleidoscopio Cine and Dario Aguirre Guevara for Tiempo Filmproduktion.
It is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Ecuador and IDFA Bertha Fund. Among the labs that supported the film include IDFA Project Space, LABED UPF Barcelona School of Management, and Conecta, Corporación Chilena del Documental.
Ortega Haboud’s recent projects include “Oficios y Andares” (2022), an interactive documentary on artisanry and gentrification in Quito’s historic district.
Vallejo Prut, a well-established photographer, is the author of photobooks “Al otro lado” (2016), “Siete punto Ocho” (2018), and “Secreto Sarayaku” (2020), each recognized with international awards.
Vallejo Prut’s photography has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vice, Stern and Marie Claire, among others. His photos have been included in exhibitions such as the Biennial for Contemporary Photography (Germany, 2022), PHOTO 2022 Festival (Australia, 2022), Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles (France, 2018), and the First Latin American Foto Festival at the Bronx Documentary Center in New York (2018).
His interactive documentary “Secretsarayaku.net” has drawn more than 20,000 visitors since its release in 2020.
