Where are my Glasses: Optics of aging documentary peers into ageist stereotypes in American

Throughout most of human history, elders have occupied an esteemed place in most local cultures, handing down the wisdom gained over their years to younger people trying to figure life out. In more recent American culture, some of this has changed. The status and treatment of older Americans has perhaps never been more discussed than right now, with age-related controversy playing out on the national stage. What does it mean to get older in modern America? Of course, aging “beats the alternative,” but what can we learn from some of our elders about life and about how to live life effectively in our later years?

Documentary filmmaker and URI film professor Michelle Le Brun explores these questions with five prominent older Rhode Island characters who have had lasting impacts on their local communities in a humorous, touching new documentary premiering on October 15 at the Providence Public Library. A few weeks ago, a small group of Providence luminaries gathered to celebrate the wrap of shooting, and of course aging was a central theme of the conversation – what to do and not do, and how our society shapes the process. Le Brun is using interviews to illustrate the issues surrounding aging in modern America and weave together a compelling story. Her primary subjects are: Aly Stallman, an entrepreneur and Ironman athlete through his 50s; Linda Miller, a non-profit founder; Morris Nathanson, designer of DePasquale Square and the very first Dunkin’; Phil West, nicknamed “the godfather of political reform in RI,” by the ProJo; and Mildred Nichols, the first African American woman to be a delegate from Rhode Island. Le Brun was motivated to tackle the subject when confronting her own aging: “I was 61 years old and becoming increasingly afraid of what might lie ahead. I had all kinds of negative images in my mind about what it means to grow old — images of decrepitude and rapidly decreasing health, not being able to get up the 41 stairs to my home, isolated. But I also knew people in their 90s who were nothing like my conditioned images of the elder years. The more I looked around, I began to notice that in fact, there were many people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s that defied the images I had of what it means to be older,” Le Brun explains, pointing out that while about 23% of people in their 80s and 90s live in nursing homes or assisted living, most do not. As she investigated further, Le Brun found her own preconceptions being challenged. “I was turning my societal conditioning on its head,” she says. Le Brun notes that “Ageism is the last ‘ism’ it’s still ok to have.” After Biden’s recent questionable debate performance, she found herself online explaining, “That’s not all 81 year olds – there’s so much individual variation.”

She also found herself wanting to focus on people who had made significant contributions to our local society, but weren’t, to most people, famous. “Something really came alive for me around place – we are all threads in the tapestry of Rhode Island, which is ever changing and breathing. We shape the place as it shapes us. I chose people who had at some time done something to shape the fabric of Rhode Island.” Ryan Bliss (Editor), Milana Cepeda (Composer), Becca Bender (Archival Producer), Roxanne Ducharme (Graphic Design and Animation), and Italian composer Mauro Colangelo (Post-Production Audio and Mix) worked with Le Brun to create the film. “Creatively, one of the most interesting parts is the collaboration,” says Le Brun. “You start a project with a vision, and then you have a team of people. With each of your collaborators, there’s a sort of alchemy where you mix holding your vision with the incredible skill sets of each person on the team. Your original vision changes. That can be challenging but also beautiful.” Le Brun recorded the interviews in 2019, and two participants have since passed away.

Le Brun is the award-winning filmmaker of Death: A Love Story, a documentary about the passing of her husband, which has been integrated into psychology and medical school curricula across the country. She has been teaching documentary filmmaking at URI for 17 years, and is known for tackling sensitive subjects with tact. “I enjoy lifting the rock and looking at what’s underneath. Things you don’t talk about, they fester. I like to bring it into the light – it generates possibilities for how we can imagine our own aging and death.” •

Optics of Aging: Providence Public Library Theater, 150 Empire St, PVD. 5 – 7 pm, Tuesday, October 15.

Photo: opticsofaging.com