A new documentary film focusing on the “intimate memories and inspiring personal histories” of some remarkable older adults, recently premiered in California. Lives Well Lived features the stories of forty people who share their wit and wisdom with remarkable candor. Filmmaker Sky Bergman, a professor of photography and video at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, says she was inspired to make the film by her Italian grandmother, who still enjoyed exercising and cooking as a centenarian. The film is both inspiring and sobering, with honest accounts of the aging process.  In this LLAMA podcast interview, with Peter Bowes, Sky reveals the common traits of people who achieve a great age with dignity, vitality and optimism. She also explains why aging should be cherished rather than defied or despised.

Published on: 5 Jun 2018 @ 08:32 PST

NOTES AND QUOTES

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• Sky explains how she was inspired by her grandmother to seek out other very old people living remarkable lives, to learn from their experiences.
• The documentary, Lives Well Lived, reveals common trait between its subjects, such as kindness and living life to the limits.

“I’ve lived my life now with that motto of just be kind to everyone …  the world would be such a better place if we were all like that.”

• Sky is a first-time filmmaker following her passion for telling original and personal stories.

“My motto is everyone has a story to tell if you just take the time to listen.”

• The film reveals that older, vibrant people share a zest for learning and maintaining social connections.
• The documentary features interviews with people who have overcome, with great fortitude, huge obstacles in their lives.  Their lifetime challenges, especially from the war years, pale in comparison with the struggles of modern day life.

“I look at my life and I think how blessed and how easy my life is and when I am having a bad day I think of some of the things that these people went through and how they still remain positive. And it definitely changes my attitude.”

• Sky says she was surprised to hear stories of hardship and how people managed to stay positive in the face of adversity.

“The attitude that you have about life is the only thing that you can control.”

• Why does Sky think there has been such a surge in interest in human longevity and the lives of extremely old people?
• With longevity in her family, Sky is looking forward to being around for a long time – walking and moving. She is motivated by her grandmother’s saying: “Move it or lose it!”