By John Corrado

The 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 25th to May 5th in Toronto

In Echo of You, filmmaker Zara Zerny interviews a variety of elderly people in Denmark (both straight and gay) who have lost their life partners. They reminisce about how they met, the longevity of their relationships, how they kept their romances alive through the years, and grappling with inevitable mortality.

For most of the 76 minute documentary, the subjects are framed in static shots, as Zerny asks them questions off camera. But there are more artful elements as well, with beautifully captured moments when images of their younger selves or old home movies are projected over and behind them. This symbolically fits with the documentary’s poignant themes about memory, and the things that remind them of their love and lives together. A quiet, bittersweet work.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Echo of You screens as part of the 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.