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Aging Gracefully, A documentary video- installation:
What I am looking for:
I am in the research and development stage of creating an installation-video piece about women above the age of 55 and their relationship with their bodies. I am looking for women who live in New York City who are willing to speak on-camera about their relationship with their body over a lifetime.
Please contact me with ANY questions you have about the piece. My email address is noelani@rocketmail.com and my phone number is 646-248-8822. LaurenCalhounfilms.com
Description of the piece:
Aging Gracefully is an installation-video piece that walks the viewer through the stories of 5-10 women who reside in Brooklyn and who are experiencing the process of aging. The piece will explore both the physical and emotional experience of aging, and through this, questions surrounding loss, and our definitions of beauty. Bringing together the stories of women from diverse backgrounds and communities in the city, Aging Gracefully will chronicle the life of each woman, specifically her personal journey with her body. The piece will also explore the role specific communities and cultures have played in shaping a woman’s body image over a lifetime. I will be looking for stories that illustrate the struggle to both transcend the body and realize its limitations.
Too often, the aging body is a taboo subject in our society. Young women are given clear definitions of what it means to be beautiful in a young body, and are given implements to stay young, artificially and otherwise. But no one discusses what it means to grow old, to embrace an aging body- no woman is given directions on how to age gracefully. With this piece, I hope to open up a space for dialogue between young and elderly women about the process of aging and embracing our lives as women, in the bodies we're given.
Who I am:
I am a documentary filmmaker and video artist, living in Brooklyn. Currently, I am filming a documentary about the lives of public access television producers and their experience in Manhattan.
I have directed two other films. One of the films, entitled “Sweet Refrain,” chronicles the demise of the sugar industry in Hawaii, interviewing displaced workers and management about the end of the sugar industry. The other film is a short piece that asks 4 young people who lived through the Siege of Sarajevo to reflect on their experience and talk about war, peace and the future of the Balkan region.
Some of the questions I will be exploring:
*Has your perception of your body changed over the years?
*Does aging shed light on any other areas of your life?
*How can we shape a positive image of women over a lifetime? *Should we, or how should we, re-examine aging as a culture?
Not questions with ready answers, but they are meant to spark discussions I’d like to have with a broad group of women, of all ages.
LaurenCalhounfilms.com
Aging Gracefully
Lauren Calhoun, 07/20/09
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