Experiencing Interruptions?

A Game To Remember

SHORT SYNOPSIS
The North East of England ice hockey community reflects on mental health, fellowship, and loss, as they share a last game with their lost teammate, playing with a puck containing his ashes.

LONG SYNOPSIS
In the North East of England—a region facing some of the highest male suicide rates in the UK—the ice rink serves as a sanctuary of stoicism and grit. But when a beloved teammate, Mich, takes his own life, the community’s silence is pushed to its breaking point.

A Game to Remember follows Mich’s teammates as they organize a final, profound tribute: a memorial game where his ashes are placed inside the game puck. Moving beyond the "tough" exterior of the sport, the film captures a community refusing to let a friend be sidelined by his own death. It is an intimate portrait of the unique, often wordless language men use to communicate love, fellowship, and loss.

  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Director
    Into Hibernation, An Unbridgeable Gap
  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Producer
  • Sonal Arya
    Producer
  • Paul Johnson
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Bill Smith
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Mabel Mundy
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • James Milne
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Steven Stocks
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Jinxin Hua
    Director of Photography
  • Sonal Arya
    Director of Photography
  • Armani Ali
    Editor
  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Additional Cameras
  • Armani Ali
    Additional Cameras
  • Jinxin Hua
    Colourist
  • Davide Ravasi
    Composer
  • John Oh
    Stunts
  • Tom Francioni
    Stunts
  • Oscar Marshall
    Stunts
  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Lighting
  • Armani Ali
    Sound Recordist
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Sport, Observational Documentary, Poetic Documentary
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 8, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    250 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Newcastle University
  • RTS North East and the Borders Awards

    No screening
    Nominee - Student Factual (long)
  • Brighton Rocks Film Festival

    No screening
    Honorable Mention
Director Biography - Raffaele Trasatti

Raffaele Trasatti is an emerging filmmaker based in Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) and Manchester (UK), whose work focuses on the intersection of community, identity, and the human experience. A lifelong ice hockey player and former team captain, Trasatti utilises his unique "insider" perspective to capture subcultures with authenticity and emotional depth.

His works have been screened at festivals internationally, obtaining BIFA and Grierson-qualified status and receiving two RTS North East and The Borders Awards nominations. His latest documentary short, A Game to Remember, explores the nuances of male grief within the North East’s sporting community. Driven by a passion for thought-provoking, cinematic storytelling, Raffaele is currently developing more projects that continue to explore the complexities of the human experience.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I have spent my life on the ice—as a player, a captain, and a coach. In the world of ice hockey, the team is a family built on a foundation of physical toughness and emotional silence. When my friend and teammate Mich took his own life, that silence became deafening.

As a filmmaker, I found myself in a position of total access; I wasn't an outsider observing a tragedy, I was a member of a family in mourning. When I learned the team planned to place Mich’s ashes inside the puck for a final game, I recognised a profound, cinematic manifestation of love. This wasn't a somber funeral; it was a loud, physical refusal to let a friend disappear.

Coming from the North East of England, I felt a deep responsibility to document this ritual. In a region where words often fail men, the game became our vocabulary. A Game to Remember is my attempt to bridge the gap between the 'grit' of our sport and the visceral reality of grief. It is a testament to a community that heals not through talking, but through the shared, physical spirit of the game they love.