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Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma

Directed by Denis Langlois2005Canada88 mins

From Denis Langlois, the director of Danny in the Sky, comes this compelling new drama about the mystery of identity and the nature of sexuality, based on true events. If you were to wake up with amnesia, what would you remember? Would your sexual orientation remain the same?

A man wakes up naked in a Montreal alleyway with no knowledge of where he is or who he might be. After finding his way to a hospital and getting treatment, he seems to remember that he's gay and that his name is James Brighton. With the help of a local gay community group, James gets a roommate and launches a media campaign to rediscover his identity. The handsome Dusan Dukic gives a powerful performance as a man without a past, desperate for knowledge and helpless to make sense of the world he inhabits.

As time passes, and curious clues to his identity emerge, suspicions arise that his amnesia is a hoax. Some people even start to wonder if he's actually gay. When James is revealed to be one Matthew Honeycutt, and the police charge him with identity theft and public mischief, the mystery deepens. Why would he appear on television if he was on the lam? Who is the real James Brighton, and what's become of him? Sylvie, a dogged doctoral student of criminology, helps provide James/Matthew with the closure he needs — but reveals a horrifying truth in the process.

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Original Language Title
Amnésie: L'énigme James Brighton
Director
Denis Langlois
Year
2005
Country
Canada
Running Time
88 mins
Language
French & English
Section
World Cinema
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