Welcome to the official “Forgetting Dad” website

FORGETTING DAD is a feature documentary (84 min.) written, directed and edited by German-based US filmmakers Rick Minnich and Matt Sweetwood. It tells the bizarre story of Rick’s father’s sudden and incomprehensible amnesia, which began one week after a seemingly harmless car accident in 1990. After the onset of his amnesia, Rick’s father re-christened himself “New Richard” and began a completely new life, leaving his family feeling abandoned and baffled at where “Old Richard” went.

“Forgetting Dad” is a documentary detective story which takes viewers on an emotional roller coaster ride to the various family members and to one of Richard’s former colleagues in search of answers to why Richard’s memory has never returned. Along the way, Rick uncovers startling facts which shed new light on his father’s amnesia. Is everything really as Richard has led everyone to believe, or is there more to his memory loss than meets the eye?

“Forgetting Dad” won the “Special Jury Award” at its world premiere in the Joris Ivens Competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in November 2008 and has gone on to win numerous other prizes including the audience award at the 1st International Health Film Festival in Kos (Greece), an honorable mention at Achtung Berlin – New Berlin Film Award, the William Dieterle Film Prize (Special Prize) in Germany and the Grand Jury Prize at GZDOC in Guangzhou, China.

FORGETTING DAD is a co-production of German television ZDF and the German production company Hoferichter & Jacobs GmbH in association with rickfilms. Additional support was provided by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, MEDIA, and Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung. World Sales are being handled by Jan Rofekamp at Films Transit, Inc. Distribution in Germany is being handled by W-Film in Cologne.

FORGETTING DAD on Canadian TV

Some heartwarming stories have been pouring in following the broadcast of FORGETTING DAD on Knowledge Network in British Columbia last night. For anyone who missed it, it will be repeated at midnight tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 20th. Check out the very fine trailer they made to promote the broadcast.

If anyone who saw the film wants to comment on it, please do so here or on our FACEBOOK fan page.

And yes, DVDs are available for home use here or for institutional video (for libraries, universities, churches, etc.) here.

Thanks again for everyone’s kind words!

Beijing Film Academy

Matt and I were supposed to be the official guests of the iDocs conference taking place at the Beijing Film Academy immediately after GZDOC, but something went wrong along the way. Fortunately, Warren Chien from Channel Zero Media, who organized the event, found a way to sneak in a screening of “Forgetting Dad,” followed by a case study.

I was pleasantly surprised by the vastness of the Beijing Film Academy, and mighty impressed by how many dedicated viewers sat through not only the film but the 2 1/2 hour case study that followed despite the arctic temperatures in the room. Not even the spotlights on stage did much to heat up the place. But that aside, this was one of the seminal events in my filmmaking career so far – one of those moments that made me reflect long and hard on my craft and what motivates me to keep going despite the economic and other hardships involved in making creative documentaries. Despite all the Chinese faces in the crowd, I kept having to remind myself that I was indeed in China, and that “Forgetting Dad” touched these complete strangers halfway around the world in ways that I never could have dreamed of.

The discussion was moderated by Chinese-Canadian producer Melanie Ansley, who did an excellent job of keeping things going and asking insightful questions. Prof. Situ Zhaodun, a distinguished old professor from the film academy and documentary expert joined us on stage. He was in the jury at GZDOC, and I had the pleasure of meeting him after the award ceremony there. I took an instant liking to him, and was very touched by how much FORGETTING DAD moved him.

Although the audience asked many of the typical questions, they were also very curious about the ethical issues involved in making a film about one’s own families. Apparently invasion of privacy is a hot issue in contemporary, (TV-driven) Chinese documentaries, and the viewers were interested in how I knew where to draw the line when probing into my family’s pain. I don’t have a magical answer. I was simply following my gut feelings, and am very thankful Axel and Matt so beautifully captured the emotion of the moments in images. Many of the tough ethical issues, such as whether or not to include the scene where my step-brother Steve talks about my father’s violence, didn’t emerge until in the editing room, where it took me weeks to decide what to do with this scene. After all, I knew it would be something I’d have to deal with for the rest of my life. But it would have been a distortion of the truth to leave it out, and I was happy to have someone else in the film raise the issue so I wouldn’t have to and risk coming across as the embittered son trying to deface his father. In the end, I followed my intuition and left it in. Now it’s one of the scenes people talk about most.

I was caught quite off guard when someone in the audience asked me about the ideology of my film. I had to think long and hard about that one and remind myself that I was in what is officially still a socialist country. How could anyone see any ideology in FORGETTING DAD? Fortunately, Prof. Situ came to my rescue and discussed the lack of ideology in the film, and how it didn’t need to have any. I felt thankful for never having been put in the awkward position of having my work misused for ideological purposes or being made to tow someone else’s ideological line. I hope I’ll be fortunate to never been put in that situation.

It was cold and I was tired, but I couldn’t stop feeling some magic in the moment, a mesmerizing sensation that’s been accompanying me throughout my travels in China. Despite the sometimes unsurmountable language barrier, it felt like this was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment.

Another award ceremony in Guangzhou

I thought we were merely going to the closing party at the Beijaio Shunde Industrial Design Park, but it turned out to be yet another award ceremony with even more pomp than the night before. Apparently Shunde is the wealthiest region in China and a big supporter of GZDOC. So in between a wild masked man racing about, some talented children performing Cantonese opera, an older musician playing music from famous Chinese films on every imaginable wind instrument, and some lovely dancers fleeting about, we got to go back up on stage to collect the awards once again. This time my son Jakob even had to go up to collect the prize for the American film “Playground” because there were no other US citizens around to do the job besides me, and I already had to make an appearance. Jake wasn’t exactly thrilled about the whole thing, but got up in the limelight for a minute or two.

Once again, I didn’t know what to make of it all. I’d been warned that surprises lurk around every corner in China, and boy is that true. This wasn’t the first award I’ve ever one, but it felt distinctly like a career highlight. I certainly couldn’t imagine being celebrated like this back in the US or Germany.

While I enjoyed the week at GZDOC, I was a bit sad about not getting to see a single film. Most of the screenings were held at cinemas throughout Guangzhou while the industry events all took place at the Chimelong Resort in Panyu – a Las Vegas-styled resort out in the suburbs. I did, however, get to meet quite a few filmmakers and have some good conversations with commissioning editors and other industry bigshots who are normally quite unapproachable at festivals back in the West. So maybe something will become of all this. If nothing else, I’ve had a fantastic trip to a country which defies description. I have a funny feeling this won’t be my last trip to China.

Many, many thanks to festival director Simon Ho and to all the friendly festival workers for making our stay in Guangzhou so pleasant!

“Forgetting Dad” wins GZDOC, Guangzhou, China

Tonight “Forgetting Dad” won the Jury Grand Prize of the International Competition at GZDOC – the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival in China. In the glitziest awards ceremony I’ve ever had the pleasure of partaking in, and the only one in an amusement park, I had the great pleasure of receiving the final and most important prize of the evening while television camera swooned about and flashes lit the sky. What a surreal experience to top off my first week in China! (Watch the video here)


The jury’s decision was unanimous. I was particularly touched by their statement, and how the Asian members were so supportive of the film. I guess it really does strike a universal chord. Here’s what they had to say:

“The film captures a private issue which seems to be restricted to a family. Dad lost his memory because of a car accident. The director takes a step-by-step way to tell a story which is closely related to everyone of us. Everyone has the right to choose their lifestyle. Respecting their choice is respecting ourselves. The film is warm and thought-provoking.”

I don’t think anyone has ever referred to the film as warm before, but as the jury members told me afterwards, they were touched by how I steadfastly refuse to denounce my father and how I go against the audience’s expectations by not confronting him on camera in the end. Clearly they didn’t have a problem with the film’s ambivalence and open end.

The entire week here at GZ DOC has been a blur that I’ll have to write more about once I’ve stopped spinning. But for now, thanks again to my family for all their openness in participating in the film, and thanks to my dedicated crew for their amazing artistic contributions and willingness to stick it out so long until we got the film just right.

Springfield – The Moxie

Rick and Mom at the Moxie

After my visiting artist stint at Stephens College, I headed down to the Ozarks to visit family and catch up with old friends. Nicole and Dan at the Roxie – Springfield’s very cool arthouse cinema – were kind enough to show FORGETTING DAD at their new theater (they ran HOMEMADE HILLBILLY JAM at the old one a few years back). I was getting a bit burned out on doing Q & A’s but this one got very lively, mostly because of the large number of doctors in the room (Nicole had invited all the local neurologists and psychologists). Naturally everyone had some kind of opinion to voice. The neurologist ruled out any possibility of there being any organic damage to my father’s brain and marveled at how I give Dad the benefit of the doubt in the film. A psychology professor broke into a story about his own father’s demise into a childlike state (without amnesia or an accident attached), and told how liberating it was to break free of the bond his father held over him by declaring that he would no longer play along with his father’s games. Now they have a much better relationship. That certainly gave me something to think about.

Rick posing with (from l to r) Pat, Molly Matney, Sandy

Mom and my step-father Tom and his daughter (my step-sister) Nitabelle and a whole bunch of their friends were in the audience. When the lights went on, Mom looked teary-eyed. She says she sees something new in the film every time she watches it, and it still shakes her up. I was also very happy to have Molly Matney and her grandmothers Sandy and Pat there. Some of you might remember Molly and her brother Matthew as the little kids singing and dancing in my Branson film HEAVEN ON EARTH. They’re still little, but now teenagers.

Stephens College, Columbia, MO

Columbia is beginning to feel like my second (or third or fourth) home. During my second visit there when “Forgetting Dad” played at the True/False Film Festival this past February (“Homemade Hillbilly Jam” was the closing night film there in 2006, followed by a rocking concert by Big Smith), I was asked if I’d like to return to Stephens College (one of the festival venues) as a visiting artist. Now I’m glad the moment arrived.

Rick and students at Stephens College

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when facing two different classes of aspiring young filmmakers (all women – Stephens is a women’s college dating back to the 19th century), and was delighted to be greeted by bright, cheerful and curious students who seemed to appreciate what I had to say. It was refreshing to step outside the daily grind and reflect upon my film work from the past eighteen years. I enjoyed being asked the kinds of pertinent questions that were on my mind a lot when I was first starting out, most of which are still issues I struggle with: How to find subjects for my films? How to build relationships with the people I’m filming with and how to maintain a balance between intimacy and distance on screen and off? How to know when to turn the camera on and off? Etc.

Only about twenty students and their guests attended the evening screening of “Forgetting Dad,” but the Q & A afterward was one of the best I’ve had so far, full of insightful questions that made me really think about the deep-rooted ethical questions involved no only in the making of “Forgetting Dad,” but which documentary filmmakers face over and over again.

The mouthwatering goodies at the Uprise Bakery. How could anyone resist?

It felt good to have a discussion with bright-eyed young filmmakers rather than the typical harried film festival and jaded industry crowds. I was reminded of all the inspiring filmmaker discussions I attended as a young filmmaker, and how much has stuck with me over the years after. In my own modest way, maybe this was my way of giving something back, though much of the time I felt that the Stephens students were inspiring me even more. It’s not every day that I have the opportunity to take a long, hard look at what I’ve dedicated my professional life to, and to think about what it is deep down inside that keeps me going. So thanks to all the kind-hearted students at Stephens, to Carol Julian for the invitation and lovely dinner, Kerri Yost for organizing everything and taking good care of me, and Polina Malikin and Sarah Whorton for welcoming me into their classes.

Maybe with some luck, I’ll get to return to Columbia some day.

St. Louis

After passing through the St. Louis airport several times these past few years, I was glad to finally get to see the city itself. Once the booming gateway to the West, St. Louis has seen better days, but it’s still a fascinating city in its own right.

Only hours after arriving and checking into the amazing Moonrise Hotel (definitely the hippest hotel room I’ve ever had), I bumped into Mike Williamson (from “Homemade Hillbilly Jam” – musician extraordinaire and former bassist, trombone, mouthbow and Sousaphone player from Big Smith) and Cindy Woolf at vintage clothing store on the Delmar Loop. What a surprise. They were in town playing a gig, and we ended up spending an entire afternoon together going to the City Museum (a fabulous playground that defies description) and the Gateway Arch. Along the way, they treated me to some fine singing and ukelele playing in the car. I just uploaded four videos to YouTube:
- “Tonight You Belong to Me”
- “I Only Want a Buddy”
- “If You Refuse Me”
- Riding up the Arch
The St. Louis Film Festival is much smaller and down-to-earth than Denver, and was relaxing to be at after the big gala events and flashiness in Denver. Only the weather was a bummer – non-stop rain. But it made for some dramatic views from the top of the Gateway Arch.

The screening at the Tivoli Theater went well. It’s a lovely old movie palace on the very cool Delmar Loop. Many thanks to festival director Cliff Froehlich for all his hospitality. I haven’t been to very many festivals where the festival director was so concerned about the welfare of his filmmakers. Thanks, Cliff! (That’s Cliff in the bright yellow T-Shirt in the photo with me)

Some guests of honor even drove over from Kansas to come to the screening – my mom and dad’s old high school friend Terry Robbins with her cousin and a friend. It was fun having dinner together at Blueberry Hill, where Chuck Berry will be playing a sold-out show tomorrow.

Some film highlights:
Joe Berlinger’s “Crude.” Joe was in town to receive a lifetime achievement award. Not bad for age 46. After missing the film at a few other festivals, I was glad to finally catch it here, and to meet Joe at last.
“In 500 Words or Less” – a fine documentary by Molly Fowler and Amanda Zinoman about four high school seniors struggling through the college application process. The film is a painful reminder of what I went through over 20 years ago (I don’t remember it being quite so stressful though), and made me definitely not want to put my own kids through such a grueling process. Do teenagers really need to be put under such immense pressure?
“Waiting for Hockney” (Julie Checkoway) – saw only about half the film, but I’ll try to catch the rest somewhere else. Looks like an amusing and sometimes heartfelt portrait of an obsessive artist who spends eight years on a hyperrealistic portrait of Marilyn Monroe, which he dreams of showing to David Hockney. Unfortunately, I missed the end because I had to go do my Q & A.

News from the Denver Film Festival

When I arrived in Denver from Berlin yesterday afternoon, I didn’t realize I was going to stumble right into the opening ceremony of the film festival. But I stuck it out despite exhaustion, and was mightily impressed by how they sent me down the red carpet (which was actually blue) to a flurry of photographers and TV people who asked me a few questions. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and couldn’t snap back at them.

The opening screening of “Precious” by Lee Daniels was very moving – not only that the film is incredibly powerful, but the whole presentation at the Eliie Caulkins Opera House in the presence of Daniels and his Denver-based husband and wife producers Gary and Sarah Siegel Magness, was well worth witnessing. I rarely make it over to US festivals, so it was an eye-opener to live through all the flashiness I normally see only on TV.

Gil Whiteley from the Denver Post gave FORGETTING DAD 7 out of 10 stars and called it a “fascinating film.” And my dear niece Jess wrote a really long and moving blog entry about the film and her relationship to her grandfather.

Our first screening is tonight at 9 p.m. at the Starz Film Center. Come one and all!

Rick to embark on mini-tour through Midwest

Writer/director Rick Minnich will be in the US Nov. 12-22 for a mini-tour with “Forgetting Dad.” The film will screen twice at the Denver Film Festival on Nov. 13-14th, once at the St. Louis International Film Festival Nov. 16th, once at Stephen’s College in Columbia, Missouri the evening of Nov. 17th (Rick will be a visiting artist at Stephen’s Nov. 17-18th), and once at The Moxie in Springfield, MO Sat. Nov. 21st at 4:30 p.m. For details, check the screenings section. Rick will attend all screenings and can be reached on his US mobile at 916-290-2062. Hope to see you, and spread the word!

“Forgetting Dad” on Belgian TV VRT Canvas Oct. 28, 2009

Belgian public TV station VRT Canvas broadcasted “Forgetting Dad” on Oct. 28th and I’ve been receiving some nice responses from viewers. Feel free to post your comments here on our film blog or become a fan on Facebook.

Thanks,

Rick