This is why I like festivals. A film we commissioned about very, very old ladies in a home for the active elderly, all Jewish, authors, therapists, bluestockings, campaihers, walkers, is shown in a small, packed room. It is as good as I had hoped. The audience love it.
It's an original film because it deals with the feeling of being old – what you know about life and can tell, what you have to endure each day. The Time of their Lives will be shown soon on the BBC. But I also hope it will find audiences in the care industry.
So much is talked about dignity and dying – the film shows that it's
possible but difficult. And what does it tell us? As blogger Rose (who
dies during the filming) says: "Life is indeed a mystery, and so is
death. But so, too, is love." I agree.
NIck Fraser is series editor for the BBC's flagship documentary series 'Storyville'. He is attending and will be blogging from the Sheffield Doc/Fest, 5-9 November.
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