They may become part of a family’s traditions.

Children may grow up watching their parents’ favorite movies.

Later, those children may introduce the same films to their own children.

The actor becomes part of a family history.

This helps explain why the death of a famous performer can produce genuine sadness among people who never knew them personally.

The relationship may not have been personal in the conventional sense, but the memories were real.

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Movies Preserve Moments in Time

Film has a unique relationship with memory.

A photograph preserves a moment.

A movie preserves movement, voice, expression, music, dialogue, and atmosphere.

When viewers watch an old film, they can see a performer exactly as they appeared at that moment in their life.

That makes cinema a form of cultural memory.

An actor who died years ago can still appear on screen tonight.

They can still make audiences laugh.

They can still frighten viewers.