How did Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, Alien, register itself so deeply in our cultural imagination? With brilliant fervour, director Alexandre O. Philippe uncovers the untold origin story rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of Francis Bacon and the dark visions behind the most shocking and unforgettable film in sci-fi history. Like Philippe's previous film, 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene (2017), which put the iconic shower scene from Psycho under a microscope, Memory - The Origins of Alien is a substantial collection of in-depth interviews, original story notes, rejected concepts and unreleased behind-the-scenes footage that will rouse even the casual fan. Philippe superbly analyzes Alien's poignant sexual and gender commentary and dissects one of the most disturbing yet genius moments in all of cinema—the Chestburster scene. Memory is the documentary for the film lover inside all of us. Ravi Srinivasan
Co-presented with Toronto After Dark Film Festival