July 7, 2015
By Jill Chang, Director of Communications
It’s that feeling you get when you bring an idea to life. The room was cool and the audience stood still in anticipation. The Healthy Aging Partnership film festival provided a perfect ambience for the audience to indulge in cinematic delights on healthy aging. Residents from Bayview Retirement Community, located on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill, got to witness their first movie musical on the big screen.
Bayview is known for its connectedness and truly harnessing the power of relationships. After Resident Services Director Nancy Weinbeck met with filmmakers Scott Jackman and Karen Tanzy, the birth of The Bayview Movie Musical came to be. Charismatic residents in their 70s, 80s and 90s each brought their respective strengths and created, scripted and starred in this very unique project. As a result, the delightful musical comedy took 3rd prize at the 1st Healthy Aging Partnership film festival in 2014.
The momentum did not stop there. The second movie project turned into a sci-fi twilight zone-esque “The Thirteenth Floor.” This time they worked with a green screen and other special effects. Because of the mysterious tone of this film, the residents’ comedic timing was really put to the test. Bayview’s movie was the only local film to be screened at the 2015 Healthy Aging Film Event. The residents’ latest endeavor includes webisodes (several short episodes) and this time around residents went behind the scenes to direct some of the shots.
Unleashing the power of creativity in life is an essential part of healthy aging. Through Bayview films, residents were able to weave together themes of positive aging and courage aimed to benefit all generations.
These creative projects are more than just movie-making for Bayview residents. It’s about turning a vision into a reality and finding new vehicles of expression and communication. Most importantly, the residents aspire to change the perception and expectations of older adults. As the theme of Bayview’s movie musical teaches us, “There is no limit to what we can do!” Be on the lookout for Bayview’s next short film.
Bayview films can be found here.
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