In July 1996, two British brothers drove across American highways.

Christopher was moving to Los Angeles, and his brother Jonathan came along.

During the long drive, Jonathan shared an idea for a short story.

It was about a man who lost his wife and his short-term memory.

The man relied on notes, tattoos, and Polaroid photos to survive.

Christopher was immediately fascinated and wanted to turn it into a movie.

Jonathan agreed to write the short story while Christopher wrote the screenplay.

Christopher wondered how to put the audience inside the man's confused mind.

He realized, "The only way to tell the story is backwards."

The color scenes move backwards, while the black-and-white scenes move forward.

No major studio would pay for such a strange, puzzling script.

Next time, a brave independent producer gambles on a twenty-five-day shoot.