Scene from “Before We Forget”
Juan Pablo Di Pace, known for his roles in Fuller House and Mamma Mia!, steps behind the camera and into the lead role for his deeply personal feature debut, Before We Forget.
Co-directed with Andrés Pepe Estrada and executive produced by the late Norman Lear, this film offers a poignant exploration of first love, memory, and identity, with a clear emphasis on its tender queer themes.
The film centers on Matias (played by Di Pace), an Argentine filmmaker grappling with an unfinished movie. His creative block stems from a deeply etched memory: an elusive first love with Alexander, a Swedish boy he met at a boarding school in 1997. Their bond, marked by profound tenderness and fascination, is abruptly cut short when Alexander is suddenly expelled, leaving young Matias with a story of undeclared emotions and lingering questions.
Twenty-five years later, Matias decides to reopen this emotional “Pandora’s Box,” leading to a face-to-face reunion with Alexander. As life begins to imitate art, Matias is drawn into a deeply personal reckoning with his past, memory, and the elusive search for closure for feelings that have remained unspoken for decades.
Di Pace has stated that the film is inspired by his own life experiences, even being shot at the very boarding school in Italy where he came to embrace his identity as a young queer artist.
He shared with Out Magazine that while he didn’t set out to make a “queer” film, he aimed for an honest one, and in doing so, created a “caress or a hug” for audiences.
The film breathes fresh life into the classic coming-of-age narrative by exploring the passionate, almost ethereal memories of a just-out-of-reach lover, offering a story that is both tender and relatable.
Upcoming Screenings and Q&As:
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Los Angeles, CA: Before We Forget opens on July 18 that Laemmle NoHo 7. Juan Pablo Di Pace will be participating in Q&A sessions after the 7:20 PM screenings on July 18, 19, and 21, and after the 4:30 PM show on July 20.
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Palm Springs, CA: Screenings are set for July 25, 26, and 27 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, with showtimes at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM daily. These screenings are explicitly highlighted as LGBTQ+ films.
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Santa Fe, NM: The film will also be screened at Sky Cinemas | Railyard – Violet Crown Santa Fe on July 25, with Di Pace in attendance for a post-screening Q&A..
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