Memory Books

In Uganda, AIDS-infected mothers have begun writing what they call Memory Books for their children. Every evening Dennis and Chrissi brush their teeth in the dim glow of the oil lamp. The 10-year-old watches his little sister conscientiously as they get ready for bed. Since their mother died of AIDS two years ago they are both orphans, two of more than two million of their kind in Uganda. But a unique project has emerged from the catastrophic conditions in this east African country: Memory Books, a chance for infected parents and their children to write openly, honestly and compassionately about their painful situation and help the children to gradually understand that they will soon be looking after themselves. Through the process of remembering and writing, both parents and children discover a sense of strength and solace that they could never have foreseen while creating what will quite likely become the most important road map that these orphans will have in life.

Source: German Films Service & Marketing GmbH