Again, they spent 72 days in the mountains. As soon as they got back to civilization, as they got into the hospital, they were separated. So imagine the big shock of being greeted as a hero when they felt miserable and then separated after creating such a strong group. They found themselves alone in different rooms with big beds. What they did is they gathered together again. They came together again at night. This tells you that they’re going to be always there, in the mountain. [...]
They needed to come together, to look at each other. The movie ends up saying, “Please keep telling this tale.” It’s important. Stories are important. They set up something that becomes important in the minds of the people. This is what we do as storytellers. It’s not only about the fact, it’s about the narrative. We told the tale again. [x]
"But when someone's gone and you're the primary keeper of his memory, letting go would be a kind of murder, wouldn't it?" – Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers








