A Photographic Memory

A Photographic Memory
Film poster
Directed byRachel Elizabeth Seed
Written by
  • Rachel Elizabeth Seed
  • Christopher Stoudt
Produced by
  • Rachel Elizabeth Seed
  • Sigrid Dyekjær
  • Matt Perniciaro
  • Michael Sherman
  • Beth Levison
  • Danielle Varga
Cinematography
  • Joseph Michael Lopez
  • Rachel Elizabeth Seed
  • Drew Gardner
Edited by
  • Christopher Stoudt
  • Eileen Meyer
  • Tyler Hubby
  • Will Garafolo
Music byMary Lattimore
Production
companies
  • Real Lava
  • Capariva Films
  • Bow & Arrow Entertainment
  • Chicken & Egg Films
  • Spark Features
  • Facet
  • Hazel Pictures
Distributed by
Release date
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$28,965

A Photographic Memory is a 2024 American documentary film, directed, written, and produced by Elizabeth Rachel Seed. It follows Seed as she attempts to piece together a portrait of her mother, journalist, Sheila Turner-Seed.

It had its world premiere at the True/False Film Festival on March 1, 2024.

Premise

Rachel Elizabeth Seed attempts to piece together a portrait of her mother, journalist, Sheila Turner-Seed, who died unexpectedly when she was eighteen months old. Uncovering her archive filled with interviews of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lisette Model, Gordon Parks, W. Eugene Smith, Roman Vishniac, Cornell Capa and Bruce Davidson, immersing Seed into her world.

Release

It had its world premiere at the True/False Film Festival on March 1, 2024. It also screened at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and DOC NYC. In March 2025, Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber acquired distribution rights to the film.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 18 critics' reviews are positive. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100, based on four critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

References

  1. ↑ "A Photographic Memory – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  2. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  3. ↑ Danielsen, Aarik (February 7, 2024). "This year's True/False Film Fest lineup is set. Get a preview before you reserve seats". Columbia Daily Tribune. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  4. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  6. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". DOC NYC. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  7. ↑ Carey, Matthew (March 7, 2025). "Zeitgeist Films & Kino Lorber Acquire Award-Winning Documentary 'A Photographic Memory,' Plan Summer Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  8. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  9. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc.
  10. ↑ "A Photographic Memory". Metacritic. Retrieved February 1, 2026.