"Goncharov" (AI71 - PE)
CONTAINMENT PROCEDURE:
No known procedures for preventing the item's effect.
DESCRIPTION/ALTERED EFFECT:
A pair of boots with a poster for an apparently nonexistent Martin Scorsese film inexplicably printed onto the label.
Wearing, being in close proximity to, or even viewing an image of the boots causes one to retroactively develop memories of having seen "Goncharov" at some point in their life. Interviews conducted with subjects exposed to this item's altered effect have revealed that specifics about the plot seem to vary drastically from person to person, yet some broader details about certain characters and themes remain consistent.
More research is required to determine whether the actual Altered Item is the boots, or the film itself, whether it exists in any tangible form, or as the metaphysical concept of a movie that is spread through the mere knowledge of its existence.
BACKGROUND:
On August 21, 2020, an image of the boots was posted on the social media microblogging application [REDACTED] by user "[REDACTED]", real name [REDACTED]. The original post flew under the radar for two years before the image's influence suddenly and rapidly began to spread across the internet at large (see "Goncharov AWE" file for relevant details) and the nonexistent movie captured the public consciousness. Both the boots and [REDACTED] have since been taken into Bureau custody, but attempts to purge the original image from the internet have so far been unsuccessful due to the memetic nature of the effect.
Both director Martin Scorsese and producer Domenico Procacci have denied any knowledge of the film's existence. Investigations into a "Matteo [REDACTED]", the film's credited writer, have not yielded any leads, and it remains to be determined if such a person truly exists.
