The Winner Loser

Living without memory while rebuilding a life from fragments

The Winner Loser follows Daniel MacNee, a man whose ability to remember his own life was almost entirely destroyed by illness more than two decades ago. Daniel cannot recall what happened yesterday, nor can he access his personal history in the way most people do. Diagnosed with hydrocephalus at the age of thirty, a condition caused by a buildup of fluid in the brain, he has since undergone thirteen brain operations. These procedures saved his life but left him without a past.

Now in his early fifties, Daniel lives independently thanks to an elaborate system of notebooks, written instructions, and carefully structured routines. A watch, lists, and handwritten notes guide him through everyday tasks, from his morning routine to social interactions. He carries his notebooks everywhere in a plastic bag, along with his knitting, which helps him remain calm and focused.

Filmed over the course of a year, the documentary observes Daniel as he visits family members and friends and travels to places connected to significant moments in his life. Each encounter offers fragments of information that help him outline the contours of his own existence. Piece by piece, he assembles a story marked by illness, resilience, and adaptation, which he describes as an extraordinarily rich life.

For Daniel, understanding his past is not an abstract exercise but a necessity. Rebuilding his personal history is essential to maintaining his independence and imagining a future shaped not by loss, but by determination and continuity.