Private Project

The Memory

Eric, a 30-year-old good looking man, is awoken brutally in his bachelor bed and physically forced to remember a crime he committed against a young woman which reveals the truth about his intruder but makes him question his whole reality.

  • Mark Regan
    Director
  • Mark Regan
    Writer
  • Tanya Regan
    Producer
  • Kara Perrin
    Key Cast
    "Anabella"
  • Lee Thomas
    Key Cast
    "Eric"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Horror, drama
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mark Regan

Mark Regan is a writer and filmmaker based in Mandurah, Western Australia. He writes short and feature drama scripts and has been involved in numerous local film productions as a director, producer and cinematographer.

Mark began to create stories when he was a child and has always dreamed of sharing them with a wide audience. He is motivated to make stories that ask big questions and encourage the audience pause and reflect.

In 2002 Mark graduated from Edith Cowan University with a Bachelor of Communications in Media and Film Studies. He has been teaching film and digital media at Murdoch Institute of Technology since 2006.

Mark co-hosts the podcast Space Brains which reviews Science Fiction films weekly. He loves taking photographs and is an all-round creative punk.

Mark’s dream is to direct compelling drama films that appeal to a wide audience and contribute to the Australian Film Industry.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I chose to write and direct the short film The Memory because I like the idea of analysing our brains in a narrative form. We all experience life differently and therefore our memory of events can be vastly diverse from one person to another.

The Memory depicts the story of Eric, a 30-year-old good looking man, who is brutally awoken in his bachelor bed and physically forced to remember a crime he committed against a young woman which reveals the truth about his intruder but makes him question his whole reality.

While watching The Memory, I want the viewer to experience confusion and terror and then realize that maybe they can’t trust their own brain. Eric is forced to remember a horrific moment from his past which confronts the way his brain forms memories. I created this narrative arc, wanting to discuss perception, memory and ultimately the way people recreate stories from their past.

I was inspired by the work of Christopher Nolan’s Memento which depicts the experience of a character with memory loss and how that affects his perception. It toys with the audience’s perception by using a reverse narrative. I wanted to create a similar effect with this short film by creating an unpredictable character development based on memory loss.

Working with two actors to portray the characters of The Memory was special because they really took on the roles in such an emotional and professional manner. Lee Thomas plays the lead of Eric, is tortured and emasculated in the script, embodied the perfect lamb to the slaughter. Kara Perrin plays both a perpetrator and a victim, turning her emotions on a beat. She was astounding in depicting that duality of her character. I was extremely happy with the performance from both actors.

Creating this film helps me express my understanding of forming and retaining memories. I believe The Memory will make a viewer stop and think about their own memories.