In the fall of 1999, Christopher had only twenty-five days to shoot Memento.

His budget was small, under ten million dollars.

Every scene was planned on paper like a careful puzzle.

In March 2000, Christopher showed the finished film to studio bosses.

They loved it, but every studio refused to release it.

They said it was too confusing for most people.

In September 2000, Memento premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

As the closing credits rolled, the entire auditorium erupted into a standing ovation.

Christopher said, "I simply trusted the intelligence of the audience."

The small indie film earned over forty million dollars worldwide.

Warner Bros quickly took notice of the young British director.

Next time, the legendary Al Pacino tests the young director on set.