From director, Giacomo Boeri, Stories For Sandro is a son’s masterful attempt at keeping his father’s memories after he receives a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Boeri captures his father, Sandro’s stories in his own words, in his own voice, with his own narrative flair, and recreates them with expert direction and cinematography. The vignettes of Sandro’s recreated memories that play out are visually stunning, obviously crafted with intention and care. In fact, all of the documentary is stunning, with the mix of home videos newer shots of the same locations some of the most striking for me.
I use the word ‘masterful’ in the first paragraph very intentionally. Stories For Sandro is a work of art in every way. Apart from their visual appeal, the reconstructed memories and behind-the-scenes material of their filming processes, documentary footage of Boeri’s family, and the home videos from his childhood take us on the journey through memory with Sandro.
At the heart of this documentary though, is a family dealing with an unexpected diagnosis – each in their own way. As Sandro’s condition worsens, members of the family step into different roles, with Boeri becoming more of a chronicler and friend. Yet, all through, Sandro’s positivity and love for life remains, brightening the darkness of the film.
Stories For Sandro also stands out to me as doing something that film, and art in general, does for all of us in that it preserves moments in time for us to look back on. And more than look back on, when those moments are far from our recollection, they still convey emotions that help us understand where we came from.
Stories for Sandro is playing at Hot Docs ’26. For more information, click here.
