The lengthy documentary the show must go on centres on the life of a number of people in a small town in the United States whose population consists only of people fifty years of age and older. Some 32,000 senior citizen are savouring their last years in Sun City West, Arizona, whilst enjoying the sun and doing all the things for which they had no time in their working lives.
The elderly feel reborn in this retirement community, where new romances begin and hidden talents are discovered. But life in Sun City West also has its darker side: on her eighty-ninth birthday Ginnie Geocaris still takes part energetically in line dancing, but her third husband, Joe, who is the same age, has a weak heart and is not expected to live much longer. He is no longer able to play the violin and has lost all his vitality. At the Sheriff’s Posse, where some three hundred senior citizens do volunteer work, one is often confronted with residents who have been completely forgotten by their children.
At the community’s recreation facilities, such as the golf course, swimming pool, theatre and hobby rooms, we meet ‘characters’ who are experiencing their second youth – at death’s gate.
www.hansheijnenfilms.nl
Review
Director
Hans Heijnen
Hans Heijnen was born in 1957 in Sittard. He studied political science and in 1981 he went to study at the Dutch Film Academy; he graduated in 1985. He wrote various filmscripts for the EAFA and First Floor Features. Since 1988 Hans Heijnen is working as a freelance-documentary filmmaker voor NOS/NPS and VPRO. After two nominations he received a Golden Calf for is Documentary works at the Dutch Film Festival. (1996). In 1999 he won the Silver Spire Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival for his documentary: “Lisdoonvarna, Lourdes of Love”. In september 2000 the Dutch Film Festival held a retrospective of his films which show the life of people in rural areas, which is a theme in his work.
Credits
Script, Hans Heijnen; Camera, Erik van Empel; Sound, Paul Veld, Bert van den Dungen, Alex Booy; Editor, Hans Dunnewijk; Soundmix, Huibert Boon; Sound Mix, Wim Post, Commissioning editor NPS, Cees van Ede; LineProduction, Willemijn Cerutti, Laura Bronkers.
In co-production with NPS. With the support of Dutch Cultural and Broadcasting Fund and Dutch Film Fund. Sales: SND-films. Cinema Distribution: Cinema Delicatessen.
In co-production with NPS. With the support of Dutch Cultural and Broadcasting Fund and Dutch Film Fund. Sales: SND-films. Cinema Distribution: Cinema Delicatessen.