Afloat (5 min.)

From the vantage point of a swimming pool, this lyrical film travels underwater and above water to create a gentle meditation on growing old, remembering youth, and living life. Rental: $30.

A Day with Francisco (6 min.)

Retirement didn’t suit Francisco Cardoza, so he decided to go back to work. The customers and employees at one Manhattan pharmacy are glad he did. Rental: $45.

Beauty before Age: Growing Older in Gay Culture (22 min.)

A rare male perspective on society’s obsession with physical appearance, the film critically examines the power of youth, beauty and the fear of aging in the gay male community. Rental: $75.

Bella Bella (26 min.)

The latest chapter in major Bay Area sculptor Bella Feldman’s life, it provides inspiration for anyone who thinks reaching 70 marks the time to pack it in. With creativity and verve, Feldman overcomes the challenges of widowhood, a life-threatening heart problem, and a new trans-Atlantic love affair. Much of her sculptural work has been in response to the series of wars and violence throughout her lifetime. Rental: $70.

Close Harmony (30 min.)

An Academy Award-winning documentary about a senior citizen chorus and an elementary school chorus who practice for a combined concert, and in the process, dissolve many stereotypes about each other, and form an important bond that results in a memorable performance. Rental: $70.

Elsa and Fred (108 min.)

Retired 77-year-old hypochondriac widower, Fred, moves to an apartment in Madrid, and eventually meets his next door neighbor, Elsa, an elderly and feisty Argentinean, whose behavior is unorthodox, to say the least. Nevertheless, after some rocky fits and starts, Fred is seduced by Elsa’s outrageous behavior and upbeat view of life. Poignant and funny, with brilliant acting. In Spanish, with English subtitles. Rental: $100. (Exhibition quality)

Inside/Out (7 min.)

At age 61, after struggling all her life to feel good about her physical appearance, Toni, an artist, had finally come to peace with herself. Then suddenly she contracts a disease that leaves half of her face paralyzed. Now she faces the challenge of questioning what role her physical appearance plays in her feelings of self-worth, and accepting herself with humor and optimism. Rental: $40.

Irene Williams, Queen of Lincoln Road (23 min.)

An amusing short film about Irene Williams, who lived and worked on Lincoln Road, in Miami Beach. For over 40 years, she stopped onlookers in their tracks with her colorful outfits. Filmmaker Eric Smith documented the woman and her amazing wardrobe, and more importantly, their deep affection for each other. Rental: $45.

Let’s Face It: Women Explore Their Aging Faces (26 min.)

Seven women, 48 to 63 speak openly, honestly, and with wry humor on the reality of the sags and bags, wrinkles and lines that show up on their faces. As they consider getting face-lifts or aging naturally, they discover deep ambivalence, anxiety and, for some, acceptance of aging. Rental: $45.

Life: The Silver Age (25 min.)

In parts of Europe, North America, and Japan, the proportion of older people in the population is rising faster than any other group. The result, often, is a growing population of older people with too few young people to take care of them. Who will care for the aged? This program explores the implications in three very different countries: Japan, India and Tunisia. Rental: $50.

Mr. Reubens Goes to Mars (15 min.)

A story of a withdrawn older man, who becomes the unlikely hit of a downtown swing dance club. Later, his new-found zest for life starts to fade away and is rekindled by the most unlikely source. Rental: $45.

My Father’s Hopes (4 min.)

A poetic and moving short documentary about the filmmaker’s father, who studied art as a young man, but was diverted into the business world by family responsibilities. After his wife’s death, he faced a profound crisis, which eventually resulted in a remarkable old age. Rental: $40.

My Mother Dreams the Satan’s Disciples in New York (30 min.)

A comic fictional story about Marian, recently widowed, who travels from the Midwest to NYC to visit her daughter, who lives on a grubby Manhattan street across from the Satan’s Disciples, a motorcycle gang. Interesting adventures transpire. An Academy-Award-winning short. (Brief swearing). Rental: $75.

Old Woman Poem (5 min.)

Narrated by a woman over 100 years old, this narrative recounts a woman’s significant life events from childhood to the present. She urges viewers to look beyond her aging exterior and see the person inside. The overall message is a proud tribute to the vibrancy and agelessness of the human spirit. Rental: $30.

Smitten (27 min.)

A documentary about Rene di Rosa, who is ‘smitten’ by art, as well as the pure joy of discovery. He has the world’s largest and most notable collection of Northern California art, which is colorful, figurative, humorous, rebellious, political, and radical. Rental: $85.

The Collector of Bedford Street (40 min.)

An Academy-Award-nominated short documentary that depicts a 60-year-old community activist and fundraiser with developmental disabilities, who raises thousands of dollars for charity every year, while he lives at the poverty level. Because of Larry's 20 years of service to his neighborhood, the community created a supplemental-need adult trust fund for him. The film humanizes the story behind the abstract statistics of mental retardation, revealing how a community builds tolerance and understanding. Rental: $75.

The Personals (37 min)

The Personals follows a group of senior citizens as they rehearse and present an original play about looking for dates through the personal ads, at a theater on NYC’s Lower East Side. The film explores both the joys and sorrows of growing old in America. An extraordinary look at the emotional lives of elderly Americans. Academy-Award winning short. Rental: $60.

The Yard People: An Intergenerational Love Story (29 min.)

A documentary about a group of African American couples who came together in Buffalo, New York during the 1940s. Now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, they remain friends today due to their celebrations of intergenerational love that they have ritualized in the form of ‘yard parties’ and community activism. Rental: $65.

Trishaw (15 min.)

When Singapore trishaw driver Ah Heng’s vehicle is damaged, there is no one to repair it for him; as a result, he loses his regular customer. Ah Heng is forced to wonder if he is indeed fighting a losing battle against modernism. In Chinese, with English subtitles. Rental: $40.

Tsipa and Volf (20 min.)

This short film captures the tragicomic nature of a 50-year relationship based on survival and commitment. Two elderly Jewish émigrés from Latvia, who were living in San Francisco (but are now deceased), reminisce about a rich community lost to the horrors of World War II. Tsipa's and Volf's candid interviews with their grandson Daniel explore the fragile nature of memory, and the strength of their commitment and devotion to one another. Rental: $50.

Tulip (14 min.)

An Australian film by renowned actress Rachel Griffiths, is based on a real story told in Griffith’s family, of her grandparents’ generation. A man readjusts to life alone after 45 years of marriage. He also has to solve the problem of the family cow, Tulip, which refuses to allow itself to be milked. Rental: $40.

Useless (14 min)

A fictional, yet very real story, of a Japanese-American businessman, long past his job prime, who reluctantly comes to terms with his retirement. Rental: $40.

Why? (12 min.)

An animated explanation by the filmmaker about why she went to art school at middle-age leads to an amusing, and amazing autobiographical discourse. Rental: $40.

ORDERING CONDITIONS & PROCEDURES

Note: Consultation is available to develop a film program and select films tailored to your specific interest and needs.

• Free one-hour consultation
• $50 per hour for additional consultation

TO ORDER RENTALS

• Please indicate date needed. Programs are shipped via UPS to arrive no later than the business day before your show date. On request, the program may be shipped earlier (See PREVIEWS, below).
• There is an additional charge of shipping & handling ($10) each way to each rental.
• Films must be shipped back the business day after your show date.
• We require advance payment (by check), an organizational purchase order, or a written order on your group’s letterhead.
• If you are charging admission in other than an educational or group showing, there is an extra charge for the program, which is then considered a theatrical or public performance presentation.

PREVIEWS

Legacy Film Series offers previews for $10 each plus S&H to qualified buyers so that they may evaluate the content of our programs and determine their suitability. The preview tapes supplied are for making rental decisions, and should not be shown publicly or in the classroom or other instructional setting.

Preview orders must be placed by mail, fax, or email using a purchase order number or institutional letterhead. They are scheduled on a first come, first-served basis. Our preview tapes may be of lesser technical quality than our rental/sale inventory; they should be returned to Legacy Film Series after the preview period has ended. If the program is to be rented, we will send a new, fresh copy.

PURCHASE

Your purchase of any of our titles includes the right to use the tapes for classroom or other group showings in educational settings, though not for theatrical or other presentations to the general public where admission fees are charged. For information on prices and rights other than these please give us a call or email us. Copying of programs in any medium or format is not permitted without advance authorization from Legacy Film Series.