How reliving the past can preserve it for the future
By Hûw Steer, Family History Films
On a recent archiving trip, we were confronted with a huge number of old photos, some dating back as far as the 1930s. In order to identify the people in the photos, we sat down with our clients to go through them. It was a fascinating process, and incredibly helpful not just to us but to our clients. As they explained who each person was and told stories about their lives, we could see on their faces what it meant to them to relive memories they’d thought forgotten forever. Not only were we able to deliver a meticulously organised archive, but we were able to bring real joy to our clients as we did so.
Paul, Eve and Jess hard at work on a recent archiving trip
A family history film isn’t just a great way to learn about the mysteries of your family history - it’s also a great way to relive the memories you already have, and for your relatives to do the same. And if your relatives are elderly, that process can be incredibly helpful for them. Our Commercial Director Jon Bell talked about this in his recent appearance on the Fading Memories podcast. He discussed with Jennifer Fink how our films could be beneficial to elderly viewers, especially those with dementia and those who feel socially isolated. In this post, we’ll elaborate on how our process can benefit the aging brain.
When we make a film, one of our highest priorities is filming interviews with older generations of our client’s family. Memories are often one of the best sources of information we have when researching a family’s history, and we use them as often as possible (alongside supporting documents and photographs) in the form of interviews with our researchers. This not only informs the flow of the film but preserves the memories for younger generations and those to come.
By capturing these first-hand accounts of the past, we allow elderly relatives to relive their memories and experience past events again.
The process of ‘memory procurement’ is thought to be good exercise for the brain, keeping memories alive through discussion and reminiscence. The more often we retrieve a memory, the more easily we can recall it. Some studies have shown that recalling even part of an old memory can bring the entire event back in all its glory, completing a pattern of fragmented recollections.
Paul Hurley about to go through archive photos with one of our clients
The physical benefits to the brain are still being studied by neuroscientists. What is known, and what our own experience shows, is that looking at old photographs, telling a story and simply being involved in a project makes people feel relevant and valued. More often than not older people, whether or not they suffer from dementia or similar, gain enormous benefits in overall well-being. We’ve seen these benefits extend beyond the process of making the film: watching the films, even repeatedly, can have the same beneficial effect.
And we don’t just conduct interviews, either. We also take our clients and their relatives on film shoots in order to revive even more memories. We’ve taken clients around relevant areas of Europe and North America, to their old houses, churches, schools - by letting them walk where they once walked and look at the views they grew up with, capturing their recollections. Visits to museums and memorials, and conversations with experts, allow us to tease out the threads of more deeply buried memories and add vital context. We recently explored a client’s father’s work in the Second World War, with the help of experts on the very factory he worked in, and the discussion brought back not just memories but genuine joy at reliving them.
By helping to make a family history film, older relatives will be able to experience the joy of their old memories again - and their involvement will be positive to their well-being. By recording them, you can ensure that those memories will never fade and remain available to younger and future generations.
If you’d like to consult us about a family history film of your own, contact us at paul@myfamilyhistoryfilm.com.