The Lopez Piñero Institute for the History of Science and Medicine (joint centre of the CSIC and the University of Valencia), with headquarters in the Palau de Cerveró, and the Cinema Club of the UVEG present the film series Memoria y felicidad ¿aliadas o enemigas? (Memory and happiness, allied or enemy? The film series will start next Thursday 2 October with the screening of the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, USA, 2004, 108 min.) On Thursday 16 the film Juiette ou La clef des songes ( Marcel Carné, France, 1951, 100 min.) One week later, on Thursday 23 October, Away From Her (Sarah Polley, Canada, 2006, 110 min.) will be screened. And for closing this first film series of the year on Thursday 30 will be screened the film Random Harvest (Mervin LeRoy, USA 1942, 125 min.).

The screenings, that will take place on the stated dates at 18:00 in the Palau de Cerveró’s conference room, will be in original version with Spanish subtitles. Each session will have a prior presentation and a subsequent discussion by a member of the Cinema Club and an expert in the subject matter. The film series offers a selection of films that deal with the complicated relationship between memory and the mood of people. Sometimes, in determined circumstances it is desirable not remember certain painful circumstances, however we cannot avoid this, and sometimes the opposite happens, when a loss of memory occur and it is impossible to remember. Then suffering, loss of identity, knowledge and the ability for doing everyday tasks appear. This is an inevitably and difficult process, both for who suffers it and for those around this person.

In the first session, on Thursday 2 October, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will be screened. Joel receives a terrible blow when he discovers that his girlfriend Clementine has decided erase from her memory all the memories of their stormy relationship. Desperate, he contacts with the creator of the process, the Dr. Howard Mierzwiak, for erasing Clementine of his memory. But when the memories of Joel begin to disappear he suddenly rediscovers his love for Clementine. From the depths of his brain he will try to stop the process.

On Thursday 16 the French film Juliette ou La clef des songes will be presented. With an oneiric and phantasmagorical mood this film develops a fantasy full of allegorical echoes. Michel has stolen to his employer, Mr Bellanger, for getting married with Juliette. Once imprisoned, while he is sleeping in his cell, he wakes up and sees that the doors are open and lead to a strange village in which their inhabitants have lost their memory. There he meets Juliette again who also has lost her memory, and she seems being content in getting married with a rich man.

The following week, on Thursday 23 is the turn of the film Away from Her. Fiona and Grant are an old married couple that after having overcome difficult times they enjoy a quiet and comfortable life. However, this well-being is broken when Fiona begins to loss her memory; after her frequent and dangerous slips-up she decides to enter in a retirement home. From that moment, the world of Grant collapses, leading him to a new life in all aspects.

The last session will be held on Thursday 30 October, the film Random Harvest will be screened, which tells the story of an officer who fought during the First World War and he ends in a psychiatric hospital after being found under a complete state of amnesia. After fleeing of this place, he is helped by the singer and dancer Paula, a beautiful and generous woman who does everything for helping him. But when they have settled their lives, Smithy goes to the newspaper office El Mercurio, where he expects to receive a permanent job but a new accident will make him recover his old memory, but he entirely forgets what he has lived in the last three years, even Paula.