Review: Memoir of a Snail at OIAF24
“Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard
Did you know snails can’t move backwards? The muscles in their foot can only move in one direction so they can’t reverse over trails they leave behind them.
Adam Elliot’s feature-length stop-motion film Memoir of a Snail screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival on September 27th.
In this charming, wistful, poignant tribute to the human condition, the main character Grace Prudel (voiced by Sarah Snook whom you may know from the HBO series Succession) describes herself as a hoarder of snails, romance novels, and guinea-pigs. The film takes audiences on a journey through her life, growing up as a young girl with her twin brother Gilbert (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) in Australia in the 70s. After their mother’s death the twins live with their father Percy, a former juggler, now alcoholic paraplegic. They are separated after their father dies in his sleep and are sent to foster homes hundreds of miles away.
Memoir of a Snail is an engaging bitter-sweet slow burn, the film is a rollercoaster of emotions that builds to one heck of a movie ending.
Look for the film in cinemas in North America on October 25, 2024.
The Canadian Film Institute’s Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) was founded in 1976 and recognized as the largest and oldest animation festival in North America. OIAF regularly attracts upwards of 25,000 attendees and continues at various venues in downtown Ottawa until September 29th. The festival catalogue and schedule can be found on the festival website.
Jith Paul
Web Designer, Editor, Film Reviewer
Jith Paul is an independent filmmaker based in Ottawa. While pursuing a career as a software engineer, he decided to take a detour to follow his passion for film and filmmaking, establishing Treepot Media in 2010.
He is a co-founder of the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival, and editor of the film613 blog.
When he is not busy fighting crime, he coordinates the efforts of an international team of software developers and service providers as the Team Lead for Digital Development at CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel.
jithpaul.com
He is a co-founder of the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival, and editor of the film613 blog.
When he is not busy fighting crime, he coordinates the efforts of an international team of software developers and service providers as the Team Lead for Digital Development at CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel.
jithpaul.com
