Portrait of MeMe
hand drawn type and poster design for a documentary
Typography, Poster
2023
Ten years after the sudden death of her grandfather, Alabama born filmmaker Amelia Ray unravels her grief by going to Coosada for a visit with her 76 year-old grandmother “MeMe.” A gentle snapshot of Southern womanhood, Portrait of MeMe is an intimate examination of familial grief and an exercise in unpacking the intergenerational effects of death. “Portrait of MeMe” is a personal documentary about how we grieve and remember — as individuals and as a collective.
I hand-drew typography for the title sequence and credits, as well as for posters, which I designed with the heart of the story in mind. The wild roses on the poster are the same that MeMe’s late husband had planted around his grave. The film is mellow and soft, with a true reminiscence to it – there are stories told that begin far before I or Amelia were even born. The abudant history of the documentary informed the typography directly.
“With “Portrait of MeMe,” I wanted to investigate the human experience of grieving, using my own experience as the framework. My first experience with death was a traumatic, confusing, crippling event. It shaped much of who I am and how I process and deal with difficulty. Ten years later, I began imagining a piece that celebrates my grandmother’s life— perhaps a subconscious attempt to begin processing her eventual death. Throughout development, I realized I hadn’t considered what MeMe’s experience grieving her husband was like, because I was entrenched in my own grief. I saw this as an opportunity to have an honest discussion— through the lens— about what we felt, how we chose to deal with it, and what parts we hid from each other. I am interested in the things we keep from one another and what motivates us to do so.“
— Amelia Ray, Director