Whether you’re 15, 55 or 85, stop buying into preconceived ideas of aging told to us by our parents and society, says a visiting movie director.
Laurent Goldstein, who filmed Your Second Fifty: Rising Above the Fears of Aging, which captures the passion of active older adults, including some with ties to Victoria, is coming to Saanich to screen the movie on Wednesday.
The Vancouver-based director based the documentary on a book by former Victoria resident Frank Moffat, father and songwriter for the popular 1990s boy band The Moffats, which was based briefly out of Victoria. While some of the personalities interviewed in the movie carry a Victoria connection others are well known in general, such as Naomi Judd and Bruce Allen.
The screening is Wednesday night (May 24) in the Gibson Auditorium at Camosun College’s Lansdowne campus.
“Frank wrote the book to inspire people to live a better life,” said Laurent, who had wanted to work on an active seniors piece before he met Frank Moffat, patriarch to the band’s triplets.
The band broke up in 2001 but is back together and currently touring in Indonesia. They partnered with dad Frank to record the all-original soundtrack for The Second Fifty.
“The music, and the movie, is designed to be inspiring for people as they move into their 40s, 50s, and 60s,” Laurent said.
One of the 42 experts and inspiring people interviewed in the movie is Jeanne Socrates. Now 74, Socrates started and ended her 2012-13 non-stop solo sailing trip around the world in Victoria.
“Another amazing person,” Goldstein said.
The consistent message within the film is the concept that we age according to our belief system, though the film is centred around five dimensions: financial, mental, spiritual, physical and the emotional dimension.
“If you believe you’re going to age without always being able to do what you’re doing, then that’s what will happen,” Goldstein said. “We do what we are told we will be able to do, whereas if you think you can do a marathon at 70, you can do it. It’s putting power back into people’s hands, you have much more power than you think you do.”
While the majority of people who come out to the see the movie are over 60, there is a fantastic responses from people much younger, he added.
“What is touching is when people coming to me and they’re inspired to connect again with something they used to do, something they loved to do and want to do it again, or they make major changes in their life.”
Tickets are available at Lifestyle Markets stores, The Vitamin Shoppe, Clear Skin Victoria and at the door.