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A Photographic Memory

(Rachel Elizabeth Seed, 2024) 

Rachel Elizabeth Seed in person

Midwest Premiere

a photo of a woman holding a baby, the photo is in a tray.

A daughter digs through her late mother’s archive and discovers how her own life was shaped by the woman she never knew.

Filmmaker Rachel Elizabeth Seed attempts to piece together a portrait of her mother, Sheila Turner-Seed, an avant-garde journalist who died when she was just 18 months old. Seed’s father had always been reluctant to talk about her mother, so Seed was left to learn about her through her vast journalistic output, including lost interviews with iconic photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks, and Lisette Model. As Seed delved into this incredible archive, she unearthed secrets, truths, and a more meaningful connection to her mother—including learning about the ways her mother’s choices continue to shape her own. With film techniques Variety calls “ingenious,” A Photographic Memory is a poignant exploration of recollection, legacy, and stories left untold. (87 mins., DCP)

After the screening, Rachel Elizabeth Seed with be in conversation with photographer Laura Larson.

See the complete Unorthodocs 2024 lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION
A Photographic Memory, courtesy of the filmmaker.

"Seed’s elusive film is a haunting portrait—nimble in execution and startling in its poignancy—that introduces her mother to a new generation."
Roger Ebert, rogerebert.com

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Unorthodocs 2024 is part of the 2024 FotoFocus Biennial: backstories.

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY 
National Endowment for the Arts 
Ohio Humanities

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY 
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY 
Greater Columbus Arts Council
 
The Wexner Family 
Institute of Museum and Library Services
 
Mellon Foundation 
Every Page Foundation 
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts 
CampusParc 
Nationwide Foundation 
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme 
The Columbus Foundation 
Axium Packaging

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY 
Ohio State Energy Partners 
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection 
David Crane and Elizabeth Dang 
Melissa Gilliam and William Grobman 
Rebecca Perry Damsen and Ben Towle

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