The Project
Growing Older in Rural Wisconsin is a project consisting of a documentary film production and subsequent community film screenings throughout Wisconsin and beyond. Its goal is to use the tools of documentary filmmaking and grassroots community organization to promote discussion and awareness of the challenges which seniors face in rural areas, as well as the often-ignored benefits which aging populations provide to their communities. The project is a collaboration between Rural Wisconsin Inc. and Beechwood True LLC, and is a recipient of a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council.
THE DOCUMENTARY
We are currently in production. Since summer 2024 we have spoken on camera with more than 80 individuals including older residents of rural Wisconsin, service providers, and experts on aging, rural communities, and healthcare. We have visited several of these older residents regularly, tracking significant developments in their lives including later-life employment, changes in health, deaths of loved ones, and grieving. These stories are still in progress, and we continue to work with these participants to document their lives in an intimate and honest manner.
One important theme which has emerged during production is the role of local services such as healthcare, transportation, and nutrition to support older folks as they age in place. The great majority of seniors we spoke with wish to grow older on their own terms in the place which they call home. The consolidation of rural healthcare providers and threats to social services make this more and more challenging, while advocates fight to keep these services available to older adults.
As we continue production, we endeavor to deepen both the emotional and structural components of our story. We are learning a great deal, encountering a wide range of experiences informing important topics including health and healthcare, housing and income issues, grief and loss, isolation and loneliness, and the difficulties and rewards involved in caregiving for aging loved ones. We look forward to sharing these experiences with a large audience, so that they too can be moved and informed by them.
COMMUNITY SCREENINGS
After the film's completion (anticipated to be late 2025), the documentary will be screened in collaboration with local non-profits and community centers for audiences in rural Wisconsin counties, in urban areas, and at professional conferences, followed by moderated community discussions. The goal is to use these screenings to engage communities in making their areas more aging-friendly.
