Not to Forget deserves special recognition. This film is about Alzheimer’s, but also and especially about family and coping with the loss of a family member. Anyone who lost a parent or a loved one can relate to these universal themes. 

Timur Ramazanov, Founder of the Genesis International Film Festival

 The film "Not to Forget" (directed by Valerio Zanoli) is beautifully shot, with great production values and an outstanding cast. It can – and it should – be watched by the whole family because it talks about an urgent issue: Alzheimer's disease. It is very important that filmmakers raise awareness in their stories, so that Cinema can have an impact on the world. 

Alexander Kazakov, Project Administrator at the Leonid Khromov International Film Festival 

NOT TO FORGET is a film you will not forget, with its poignant message and unique perspective on Alzheimer's.

Terry Ross, Executive Director at the San Diego Movie Awards 

"Not to Forget" features five Academy Award winners, two of whom have died since the movie was filmed. The story is set on a Kentucky farm, where Karen Grassle plays Melody, a grandmother struggling with Alzheimer's. She and her co-star Kevin Hardesty, who plays a farm manager, have both received awards for their roles. This is a movie that brings awareness not only to Alzheimer's, but also to the importance of caregivers.

NOT TO FORGET is a powerful movie that brings awareness to Alzheimer’s Disease and honors the patients as well as their caregivers, who lovingly take care of them during their illness. But it doesn't stop there. The movie reminds us not to forget our inner treasure, which on screen takes the form of a treasure chest. The main character Chris (Tate Dewey) goes through that chest, all the way to his heart, and progressively rediscovers not only a photo of his dead mother, but also and foremost what it represents: Family values and Love. We are more than flesh and bone: We are a collection of memories that, for better or for worse, make up our life and give it a true, immeasurable meaning.  NOT TO FORGET sheds light on inner emotions that we deliberately forget to resolve and that we instead transform into hidden memories. Just like in Alzheimer's patients, those memories may seem forgotten, but they are not: They continue to affect our lives and, often in a dysfunctional way, they leave us disidentified from our past and our real selves. In particular, the movie delicately explores the emotions related to the traumas caused by loss. This is a moving narrative feature that is neither a documentary nor meant to teach us about Alzheimer’s. Rather, it addresses the terrible disease to talk about family ties, growth, and rebirth. Through the story of its characters, it gracefully promotes family, compassion, forgiveness, and love. While Grandma is the one with memory loss, Chris is the one who truly forgot his family… and himself.  The viewers are led on a journey to rediscover values that most of us have forgotten about. In the story, Chris doesn’t have a real antagonist, because he has become his own antagonist. He has lost his parents, but especially himself: He can’t let go of his past, forgive, and have a fruitful life. Chris is the quintessential example of the emotional confusion that each of us has experienced at least once. When we get lost, we may end up losing the best parts of ourselves: Sensitivity, kindness, honesty, and joy. There is a parallelism that connects Chris with his grandmother Melody (Karen Grassle), both beautifully crafted and wisely thought-out. Although they apparently have different personalities, they both start their journey confined to a dark corner, where they experience a sense of identity loss that has led them to uncertainty, sadness, guilt, and fear.  NOT TO FORGET is brought to life by an astounding cast, consisting of newcomers, famed actors, and multiple Oscar winners. All the supporting characters played by Louis Gossett Jr., Tatum O’Neal, Olympia Dukakis, Cloris Leachman and George Chakiris are functional to the story, which they enrich as they help Chris rediscover his intrinsic good-hearted values and accompany Melody through her fight with the disease. The twists are not lacking and come as a surprise to the viewers, who go through an unexpected emotional climax that makes the movie even more intense and exciting.   

Director Valerio Zanoli, I finally saw your film Not To Forget. I should have bought tissues as it touched me emotionally in several places during the movie which is full of heart.   I can say the Casting was superb, and the Directing helped gently weave a story which respected the subject matter of dementia, people with dementia, and their families....not an easy task to do. The story also had some nice surprises, and was quite charming. And the Cinematography complemented the subject matter very well.   The character arcs developed smoothly. The actors did quite a nice job bringing life to the story in a natural way. There was no overacting.   Being that I am also a Psychiatrist who worked in a State Mental Institution, and took care of the whole state hospital (over 500 patients) when I was on call, it reminded me when I visited the Geriatric section where many of the old were not only isolated by the fact they had some type of dementia, but also co-morbidity of other mental illness, such as deep depression, psychotic breaks,  much anxiety, and self-injurious behavior.   Your movie was a delight to see as it brings forth the urgency of the importance of taking care of people that have dementia, and the family survivors who suffered through the emotional roller-coaster of taking care of a family member that had dementia.   The story did not feel preachy nor contrived. On the contrary, it was a wonderful emotional journey of the human heart filled with memories, these are the treasures we keep.....memories....Not To Forget.  

Claudio Laniado, producer at Convivencia Forever Films 

We absolutely loved the film. It’s poignant, touching and incredibly well made. 

Heartfelt and moving.

Exceptional.

 Filmmaking represents one of the most powerful tools we have to discuss and create awareness, also around delicate and somehow disturbing topics.  Memories of our past are essential, not only for us to be able to imagine our future but also to understand who we are and where we come from. Valerio Zanoli’s Not to Forget is an authentic tribute to the importance of storytelling and the relevance of care giving. It is literally the living proof that filmmaking can make a difference.

The abundance of memory, through the proliferation of selfies, videos and status updates, paradoxically risks diminishing the value of memory itself. Valerio Zanoli’s film, on the other hand, demonstrates the profound meaning of testimony, a value that goes beyond its simple physical trace and is expressed in the action of taking care of one another. Not to Forget, close to the sensibility of the countless people who have been affected by this and any other cruel disease, offers the gift of comfort and solidarity while, at the same time, through the empathic power of the camera, it affirms a fundamental message: Our past and our future are, literally, in the hands of those who are next to us and love us. It is a great responsibility, which, nevertheless, allows us to discover a better version of ourselves.

The storyline in present day is extremely well-done and bursting with different emotions. Sweet and funny, tearing up at the realness it portrayed. Very thankful to Valerio for what he did for our Center and for the entire Alzheimer’s community: he brought to life a difficult journey for those affected by brain disease through the arts and film. 

Working on the film Not to Forget was an unforgettable experience. After writer and director Valerio Zanoli approached me for the role of Melody, I read the screenplay and I immediately accepted to be part of this sweet and charming story. Valerio is gifted as well as dedicated to his field. He has been specializing in films with important social messages: From leukemia to child obesity, from bullying to homelessness. Valerio is a humble individual, who is always open to suggestions. At first, we had slightly different visions about my character, but he enthusiastically accepted my notes and allowed me to make it my own. Valerio is constructive, attentive, and open-minded. Alzheimer’s Disease has been called a “21st century plague”. It progressively destroys memory and other important mental functions, as is well known. This film reminds the audience we need to strive to make a difference and support the fight against this terrible disease, which affects millions of people and their families. I truly hope it can be used to inspire and move people to action.

Throughout my career, I worked with many directors and producers, but I must praise and recommend Valerio for his extraordinary ability and passion. When he approached me, Valerio wanted to create a movie to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer’s, and I wanted to be part of it. I believed in his ambition and capabilities, and I am very happy I did. Valerio created a sweet film, which I enjoyed watching. It is going into distribution later in 2021 and is part of a bigger project, which he envisioned and gave life to: Let’s Make a Difference ( www.letsmakeadifference.info ). Valerio was eager to have me in his film, and he was able to move the entire production to New York City just to film with me. He respected the limitations imposed by my age, and he calmy and professionally helped me feel at ease, before and during filming. I was glad that Valerio kept in touch with me for the holidays and for my birthday, kept me updated about the status of the film, and asked for my feedback. He’s an exquisite person, not just an outstanding director. Thank you! A total pleasure!!

As the daughter of two film legends, I’ve always been involved with the entertainment industry. My late mother Cloris Leachman starred in countless films and TV shows and won several accolades. My late father George Englund was an accomplished film editor, director, producer and actor. Over the past few years, I have assisted my late mother on the several films she starred in. When Valerio offered her a role in his movie, which turned out to be her final film role, I was thrilled to accompany her in this endeavor. From my privileged position on set, I was happy to see that Valerio was taking his time with my mom. Though her age and health didn’t make it easy, Valerio was very patient, worked around her needs, and was determined to make her shine. He went so far to create a character carved from her personality. Spending time with her also off set, he made sure to listen to her voice and treasure her advice. [I watched the movie and] I thought it was sweet and charming and quite amazing.

An indie film with a big heart.

Zanoli succeeded in his goal of raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and caregiving, and was helped by a great cast of 5 Oscar winners: Cloris Leachman, Olympia Dukakis, George Chakiris, Louis Gossett Jr, and Tatum O’Neal. 

Zanoli is the creator of the project www.letsmakeadifference.info – which includes films that talk of childhood cancer, bullying, eating disorders, Alzheimer’s, and homelessness.  Zanoli stated that “it’s important to note that Not to Forget is much more than an ‘Alzheimer’s film’. Its protagonist is not Grandma, but Chris – the young grandson who ends up becoming a caregiver. Chris also needs to cope with the loss of his mother, forgive his father, and learn how to love himself. There is at least one element of him in each of us." 

Zanoli dedicated his Excellence Award to all the caregivers: “This award is not only to celebrate a film, but also and foremost to give us hope and strength so we can continue in our mission. We are all in this together, and we all need to step up even more. We are all human beings and, deep down, we are all good. We need to take care of each other, because love always comes first and family always triumphs.” 

Valerio Zanoli’s latest feature, the deeply moving Not to Forget marks the multi-hyphenate’s most ambitious film to date. 

Tackling the culture and prejudice surrounding the growing Alzheimer’s epidemic, Zanoli has assembled a remarkable cast that consists of no less than five Oscar winning actors.  Not to Forget is a film with several themes, messages, and goals.  “I believe filmmaking could – and should – be used to make a difference. It’s called ‘movie business’, but one can make money while still having an impact. That’s why I created the project www.letsmakeadifference.info and I produced films that raise awareness and funds for important causes: childhood cancer, eating disorders, bullying, Alzheimer’s, and homelessness."

In the United States, over 20% of adults provide care or assistance to a friend or family member. Caregivers are the unsung heroes, who are willing to sacrifice themselves to take care of their loved ones. Out of love, they often renounce their job, social life, and personal well-being.  “Caregiving is a fundamental part of society, a reminder of how much we all need each other, and one of the purest forms of love. After all, caring for a loved one can be enormously fulfilling and is ‘not just pain’ – like one of the characters says in Not to Forget.  

An Outstanding Film About Loss, Forgiveness, Faith, and Family.

The positive messages of the importance of faith and family are there, but they never feel intrusive or preachy; instead, they are food for the mind, heart, and soul, even if one isn’t religious. Both Christians and nonbelievers alike can take away some invaluable and timeless life lessons from this movie. There’s also a big twist (no spoilers) that happens during the onset of the film’s third and final act. Usually, I can see plot twists coming, but this one was quite a surprise and made the film ascend to new emotional heights.

 “Not to Forget” is a powerful film that raises awareness about a very important topic while featuring strong performances by its incredible cast of veteran performers (including five Oscar winners) and newcomers alike. Karen Grassle is particularly superb as a kindhearted, elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. The tale involves some trauma and pain but ultimately has to do with forgiveness, recovering from adversity, and appreciating the finite time you have with your loved ones—particularly family members. After all, we have only one shot to enjoy our time with them while they’re still here, at least physically.