Forgetting Dad

A son investigates his father’s mysterious amnesia and emotional disappearance

Forgetting Dad is a deeply personal and unsettling documentary directed by Rick Minnich and Matt Sweetwood. The film traces the extraordinary story of Minnich’s father, whose life changed dramatically one week after a seemingly harmless car accident in Sacramento, California, in 1990. Following the incident, he claimed to have lost all memory of his past, renaming himself “New Richard” and starting a completely new life, leaving behind his wife and children. Nearly twenty years later, his amnesia remains, yet no medical explanation or brain damage has ever been found.

Through intimate interviews with family members, friends, and co-workers, the documentary unfolds like a psychological detective story. As Minnich revisits his father’s past, he uncovers conflicting testimonies, hidden emotions, and unsettling truths about the boundaries between illness, denial, and choice. The result is both a portrait of one man’s dissociation and a moving reflection on the ripple effects of mental illness within a family.

Winner of the Special Jury Award at IDFA and recipient of multiple international honours, Forgetting Dad stands out for its raw honesty and emotional depth. It offers a rare, longitudinal glimpse into what happens when someone turns away from their own history—and what it means for those left searching for answers.