A queer filmmaker from Chicago, Derek Elliott Bagley marks his Canadian cinematic début with the premiere of “Memento Mori”. He began his career as a political scientist and historian, receiving his BA in Government and MA in History and Philosophy; however, his true love and lifelong obsession has always been cinematic arts. Since adolescence his heroes have included the global leaders of arthouse cinema: Bergman, Fassbinder, Sembène, Almodóvar, Jarman, Fellini, Denis, and Eisenstein to name a few. After 7 years of working in Democratic Party politics, Bagley decided to take a risk and leave his political work in order to make films. After 3 years of experimenting with short cinema and attending DePaul University’s graduate program in Cinema Production for a year – Bagley branched out on his own by co-founding Studio Sanssouci with his close friend and constant collaborator, Taylor Wash. He currently lives in Montréal with his husband, Marc-André - to whom this film is dedicated.