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The First Forgotten

Name: The First Forgotten
Director: Christophe Lamotte
Released: 2019
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

6.5/10

Good

2019

Director

Christophe Lamotte

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film excels in its psychological depth, particularly regarding neurocognitive disability. By centering the plot on the erasure of a person's identity through Alzheimer's, it avoids superficial clichés and offers a raw look at cognitive decline. However, the film lacks breadth in its social diversity. The narrative remains confined to a specific, homogeneous familial unit, offering little engagement with racial, ethnic, or LGBTQ+ perspectives. Ultimately, it is a specialized character study. It trades broad social diversity for a deep, nuanced exploration of how disability and memory loss can fracture the traditional Western family structure.

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Category Breakdown

Does The First Forgotten have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses solely on the biological and psychological connections between a mother and son. There are no queer themes or non-straight relationships explored in the story.

How does The First Forgotten portray gender?

Fair

The story moves away from traditional masculine roles and instead centers on the emotional labor of the male lead and the significant role of the female characters.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The First Forgotten?

Limited

This localized French drama appears to center on a homogeneous social environment. There is no indication of a multi-ethnic cast or diverse racial representation.

How does The First Forgotten represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative deconstructs the ideal of the stable, sacred family unit. It portrays the domestic sphere as a site of tension, guilt, and dysfunction rather than inherent strength.

Does The First Forgotten include disability representation?

Good

The film offers a actively leading depiction of neurocognitive disability. It explores the harsh reality of Alzheimer's and how memory loss disrupts human connection without relying on inspirational stories.

Present on Screen

Provides a nuanced, actively leading portrayal of Alzheimer's disease.
Deconstructs idealized family structures through a lens of psychological realism.
Avoids 'inspiration porn' by focusing on the difficult realities of cognitive decline.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.
Shows a lack of racial and ethnic diversity within the cast and setting.
The narrative scope is limited to a narrow, homogeneous social environment.

Official Synopsis

For years, Axel has cut off ties with his family, devastated by a tragedy for which he was made to bear responsibility. When the freighter on which he was cook stopped in his hometown, he decided to visit his mother, Françoise. It's a shock: she no longer recognizes him. Having Alzheimer's disease, Françoise now forgets whole sections of her life. Axel is the first of the siblings to disappear from his memory. Why him? What is he hiding behind this oversight? And while Ivan and Lucie have agreed to have her admitted in the center, Axel opposes it frontally and delays her departure to take care of her, despite the tensions. Between the mother and the son opens the face-to-face so long feared and yet necessary.

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