The Rest I Make Up

Filmed over a span of approximately 10 years by rookie filmmaker Michelle Memran, this is an endearing snapshot of Cuban-American playwright María Irene Fornés, the recipient of nine Obie Awards and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. The friendship and affection between Memran and Fornés are evident as the documentary follows the playwright in her New York City neighborhood and other locales, including Cuba where she reconnects with family. Early on, Fornés visits her doctor where she reveals her struggles with memory. As the film progresses, her dementia becomes more noticeable, even if her vitality and sparkling personality never wane. Vintage footage and photos documenting some of her avant garde plays and TV interviews briefly touch on her longstanding career, as do comments from other playwrights, including Edward Albee and John Guare. When trying to recall how she met the filmmaker, Fornés briefly discusses her romantic relationship with Susan Sontag. Even if the documentary seems to skip all over the place, Fornés, whose works are described as shocking, tender, and delicate, always remains at the center. And while the intent here is not to profile dementia, viewers watching the vibrant playwright trying to remember her recent trip to Cuba or identify her sister at a family dinner in Miami can’t help but see the effects of her faltering memory. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Beauregard)