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Memories of a Penitent Heart
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Wikipedia article
'Memories of a Penitent Heart' is an American documentary film which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016[http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/tribeca-film-festival-announces-2016-competition-lineup-thats-33-female-helmed-20160304 "Tribeca Film Festival Announces 2016 Competition Lineup That's 33% Female-Helmed"]. 'Indiewire', March 4, 2016. and aired in shortened form on PBS's documentary series 'POV' on July 31, 2017.[http://lgbtweekly.com/2016/04/15/the-shadow-of-aids-pov-to-broadcast-memories-of-a-penitent-heart-in-2017-video/ "The shadow of AIDS: POV to broadcast Memories of a Penitent Heart in 2017"]. 'San Diego LGBT Weekly', April 15, 2016. Written and directed by Cecilia Aldarondo, the film centers on her attempts to find out more about the life and death of her uncle Miguel Dieppa, an aspiring actor and playwright who died of an AIDS-related illness when Aldarondo was six years old and had only ever met him once.[http://www.villagevoice.com/film/tribeca-doc-memories-of-a-penitent-heart-tenderly-examines-a-lost-life-8556714 "Tribeca Doc 'Memories of a Penitent Heart' Tenderly Examines a Lost Life"]. 'Village Voice', April 27, 2016.
The film had its genesis when Aldarondo received some old family home movies, including footage of Dieppa, from her mother.[http://www.dallasvoice.com/film-unveils-truth-man-shunned-family-aids-10219728.html "New film unveils truth about a man shunned by his family because of AIDS"]. 'Dallas Voice', May 16, 2016. Knowing that her uncle's partner's name was Robert but not knowing his last name, she eventually succeeds in tracking him down through the film's Kickstarter campaign he is now living as a Roman Catholic priest going by the name of Father Aquin.
Through interviews with Aquin, other friends who knew them and her own family, she uncovers the complicated emotional truth of his life and death, in particular the conflict between Miguel's partner and his staunchly Catholic mother Carmen as Miguel was dying of AIDS.
References
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