Juniper film shows old age can be a new age — of vitality and spirit

By Lucy Tristram

‘Giants of Time’ – time to listen to our elders voices.

Anzac day celebrations are over. We pack away the poppies and the medals and the memories. The voice of the soldiers and their generational cohort will be largely unheard in our media programming for the rest of the year.

It seems that those over retirement age are not perceived as interesting or engaging – or perhaps they are just not able to shout loud enough. Giants of Time is a film which remedies that imbalance of exposure, through interviews with astonishing older people.

They come from all walks of life but have one thing in common – a zest, joie de vivre and infectious enthusiasm that belies their age. We hear the memories of these men and women recounted, covering history lessons for the century.

They talk of Queen Victoria dying and the passing of Empire. They remember walking miles to work, horse wrangling in the outback and seeing the first aeroplanes.

From times of war they recall the Armenian massacre and the Russian revolution as well as the World Wars. The futility of war and the necessity of peace is a clear message.

“You can’t destroy life. Life carries on, that’s all”.

So often the images of the elderly we encounter evoke pity or sympathy. Those in the film by contrast show that joy and lust and laughter are ageless and sustaining.

There is dancing, singing, laughing and quite a bit of flirting with the camera.

One man goes so far as to explain there is no life without sex – but this was also a generation whose marriages were often arranged for them but who persevered and prospered in those relationships.

The film is also beautifully inter cut with footage of the timeless Australian landscape, reminding us that we are but a small part of this earth’s machinery.

Those featured in the film will inspire you to make the most of life. They show no signs of slowing down – leading artists, singers and creative spirits, they continue to debate, demand and declare.

There is a lot that can be learnt from listening to these often unheard voices. Giants of Time reminds us that we should be curious about, strike up conversations with and learn from the elders in our community – and not just once a year.

Giants of Time is a Juniper Films production and can be ordered online at: http://www.juniperfilms.com/giants-of-time-2/