Documentary shows there can be purpose in senior years
After a certain age, some people believe life can seem to lose its purpose.
Seniors who have retired can oftentimes be left alone. Their children are grown and have lives of their own. They may be divorced or have been widowed. Too often, some seniors end up being placed into a care facility and forgotten.
In the documentary film “The Way We Get By,” director Aron Gaudet and producer Gita Pullapilly show that there is a purpose in living during those senior years. The film is one of many that will be coming to The Woodlands as part of the Inspire Film Festival, slated for Feb. 15-19.
Gaudet and Pullapilly both worked in television news and wanted something more from their careers. Gaudet approached Pullapilly with the idea of filming documentaries and she jumped on board. They were inspired to create “The Way We Get By” because of Gaudet’s mother, Joan Gaudet, who is one of three seniors spotlighted in the film.
Gaudet lived in Michigan while his mother lived in Maine.
“She had retired and lost a lot of lost her purpose,” Gaudet said of his mom, who he called frequently. She was always at home and didn’t go out too often so he liked to check in on her.
“Then suddenly she was never home and I didn’t understand why. She explained she was going to the airport and greeting troops and at the time I didn’t realize what all that entailed,” he said.
Gaudet brought his then-girlfriend Pullapilly, who he married after completion of the film, to see his mother for the first time near Christmas in 2004. Two days before the holiday, at 2 a.m., Joan Gaudet received a phone call to greet troops who were coming home. A group of seniors would travel to a small airport in Bangor, Maine, anytime troops came home so they would not be alone. The group brought snacks and cell phones for the troops to call their loved ones. Gaudet and Pullapilly tagged along to witness exactly what was consuming his mother’s time.
“We just saw this really emotional moment with these strangers coming back from Iraq and these senior citizens that were just there with no political sway,” Gaudet said. “They were just supporting those who they saw as sons and daughters and husbands and wives.”
Almost immediately, the couple said they realized that this was what their documentary should be about.
The kindness that these senior citizens were showing, regardless of their opinions on the war, inspired Gaudet and Pullapilly. The project evolved into much more than the pair had imagined.
“It became about growing old and aging in America and how we treat our elderly,” Gaudet said, adding that there are parallels between the treatment that elderly people and veterans receive.
“What does an 85-year-old WWII veteran have in common with an 18-year-old coming home from Iraq?” Gaudet asked. “Turns out they are the perfect person to talk to. They’ve been through war and are also facing their mortality.”
Filming was tough, both acknowledged. Gaudet and Pullapilly wold make the 19-hour drive from Michigan to Maine, shoot film for a day and a half over the weekend, and drive back for work. At one point, the pair questioned whether or not to continue the project. Their subject matter kept them going, though. Watching the dedication the small group of senior citizens had to continue greeting troops and showing them extreme kindness helped.
“These troops obviously aren’t quitting. These greeters aren’t quitting. Who are we to quit? They just taught us a lot about how to live life,” Gaudet explained. “You can do good in this world and it’s rewarding.”
SureCare at Home, a local business that provides home health care service to seniors, is sponsoring “The Way We Get By” at the Inspire Film Festival in February.
Co-owner Bruce Gratland said the film is an inspirational work that will touch the lives of any who view it.
“I thought it was wonderful to see seniors be able to contribute. To see them with those vets and to see young people coming back from combat and connecting with some of the senior vets was very touching,” Gratland said.
Gratland added that seeing seniors live with a purpose is a big part of the reason he does his job.
“We have a passion for the elderly. It’s part of our business, but it’s also part of who we are,” he said.
The company also sponsored a film during last year’s festival, “Alive Inside,” which was based on a study about how music helps elderly people with memory issues. Patients literally “come alive” when headphones are placed on their ears programmed with specific music of their youth and teenage years. Officials with SureCare were so moved by the film that they started a music empathy program in the care of their patients.
“I had actually viewed that film about two years earlier and said we should be doing that for our dementia and Alzheimer’s patients,” Gratland said. However, life got in the way and other things took priority so the program wasn’t initiated until after the Inaugural Inspire Film Festival when Gratland saw the film again.
“When I had the opportunity to sponsor the film it woke us up, and now we have a full time (music) program,” he added.
Although “The Way We Get By” was released in 2009, it still holds a global message. Gaudet said he was initially worried that the film would not remain relevant once the war ended, but it tackles issues that seniors still face today.
“It is a timeless story,” Gaudet said. “It holds up because it’s about so much more than (greeting troops). Their (the seniors’) lives are so compelling and what they’re going through. When they retire they lose their identity a lot.”
Gaudet added that many volunteer groups have also used the film to show how the act of volunteering can impact so many lives, and he said he is thrilled that the documentary will be shown at the Inspire Film Festival.
“We’re excited to see it have this continued life. Texas has always been important to us because there are a lot of troops that come out of there,” Gaudet said.
Gratland said the documentary is a, “Very touching and moving film.”
“I think everyone who sees it, whether they’re young or old, will get quite a bit out of it,” Gratland said.
To learn more about “The Way We Get By,” visit www.pbs.org/ pov/waywegetby/filmdescription/. For more on SureCare, visit their website at www.surecareathome.com.
The Inspire Film Festival is scheduled to run Feb. 15-19. Specific times for showings and ticket packages can be found on the website at inspirefilmfest.com. Thursday’s event will be free and open to the public from 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring seven short films.