Lauren Loesberg’s Time Capsule Joins the Auteur Cinema Archive

The Auteur Cinema Archive is proud to include Time Capsule (United States) by Lauren Loesberg—a poignant and deeply personal short documentary that blurs the line between private memory and universal reflection. Using home video footage of herself from 1997 to 2005, Loesberg weaves an evocative tapestry of childhood, identity, and the inevitable passage of time. The film is set to the voice of her mother, reading a letter she had written for a time capsule—unearthed twelve years later.

Though made from intimate material, Time Capsule speaks to something far larger: the fragile architecture of memory, the emotional weight of nostalgia, and the complex beauty of watching ourselves, unknowingly, become who we are. With its lo-fi aesthetic and gentle narration, the film draws the viewer into a world that feels both deeply personal and strangely familiar. The result is a cinematic experience that is heartwarming, unsettling, and emotionally resonant.

There is a quiet tension in the film’s voyeuristic nature—watching a child grow, unaware of being watched by their future self, and by us. It’s this blend of vulnerability and universality that makes Time Capsule so compelling. It does what few short films can: it opens a window not just into one life, but into the experience of growing up itself.

Curator Kris De Meester on the film’s inclusion:

"Time Capsule is pure, intimate, and emotionally layered. It’s heartwarming and deeply moving in how it captures nostalgia. Lauren Loesberg makes us wonder about the unique path each person walks and the quiet complexity of growing up. It’s a small film with a powerful soul—a beautiful example of auteur cinema rooted in memory."

Time Capsule was screened at numerous international festivals, including Doc.Berlin (where it won Best Essay Film), Brussels International Film Festival, Sydney World Film Festival, Ghent Viewpoint Documentary Festival, and Cannes International Film Week, where it received the award for Best Experimental Film. Though not premiered at Doc.Berlin, its global festival journey has affirmed its resonance with audiences and curators alike.

A graduate of Northwestern University and based in Los Angeles, Lauren Loesberg has worked across over 30 projects, including the Oscar-winning The Neighbor’s Window and the TIFF-selected Redemption. Time Capsule demonstrates her unique ability to turn personal history into emotional cinema—quietly crafted, but impossible to forget.

Its inclusion in the Auteur Cinema Archive is a celebration of Loesberg’s voice and vision. In just over eleven minutes, she reminds us how profoundly cinema can reflect the private rituals of memory—and how those moments, when shared, become universally human.

https://www.auteurarchive.com