Narrated
by Walter Cronkite at age 90, Do Not Go Gently is an hour-long
documentary about the power of imagination in aging. At the center are three
extraordinary artists in their 80s, 90s and 100s who, in their youth,
fundamentally influenced American culture; and now in old age, continue to
contribute.
Portraits
include the godfather of modern music Leo Ornstein, 109 (filmed two weeks
before his death); premiere danseur Frederic Franklin, 90; and Arlonzia
Pettway, 82, one of the eldest quilters in Gee¹s Bend, Alabama. At primary
importance, we explore the work and personalities of these creative icons in
old age. The results?
They have secrets for a resilient approach to aging.
The science of creativity and aging is
uncovered little by little in the film by Dr. Gene Cohen, author of The
Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life (Avon
Books, 2000) and The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain
(Basic Books, 2006). As we follow a day in the life of Dr. Cohen and his work
at the Creativity Discovery Corps in Washington, D.C., his insight reveals
progressively deeper levels of brain science and psychology.
Finally,
we witness the principles of creativity applied to people with Alzheimer’s
disease and other disabilities of old age at day care centers and nursing
homes in Washington D.C. In the most pure documentary vérité, the innovative
work of the non-profit organization, Arts for the Aging, reveals the healing
power of imagination for populations suffering the common disabilities of age:
frailty, dementia and depression.
Awards
Gold Medal - Humanities - 2008 New York International Film &
Video Festival
American Society on Aging 2008 National Medial Award for Best Electronic
Media
2008 Silver Telly Award
Remi Winner, WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, 2008
"Good
news up there from the aging front: It's better than you think, up there in
the high double digits, to say nothing of the awesome three digits."
-Jane
Durrell, Cincinnati City Beat
"With wit and panache, the film introduces
us to a better understanding of the relationship between creativity and the
mind that is living a long full life."
-Wisconsin
Film Festival
"Imagination
is even more durable than memory —a revelation behind new exploration of the
brain, the spirit, and the process of aging."
- Elizabeth McPherson,
The Juilliard Journal