CINEMA MEDICA
Adaptations of Aging: Torching the Dusties & Piano Lessons
This event features a screening of two short films about aging, featuring adaptations of literary texts by Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. Professor Marlene Goldman will join us after the screening for a conversation about the art of adaptation, person-centered narratives of aging and, and film as a vehicle for knowledge translation and empathy.
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 26, 6:30-8pm
Location: 500 University Ave., Room 150 (Downtown Toronto)
Cost: FREE
Please register via https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3SGBTMC
About the films:
Torching the Dusties (2019)
Protestors have appeared outside the gates of Ambrosia Manor. From behind strange baby-faced masks, they issue a chillingly simple demand: it’s time for the residents of this posh retirement home to give up their space on earth. Based on the short story of the same name by Margaret Atwood, Torching the Dusties dramatizes issues arising from ageism, age-related macular degeneration, and Charles Bonnet Syndrome. The film was produced in partnership with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and York University’s Centre for Research on Vision. Trailer available here.
Piano Lessons (2017)
Nancy's late for an appointment, and she's lost the address. Yet her surroundings look oddly familiar. With the help of her beloved granddaughter Alex, Nancy must learn to navigate the strange new territory she finds herself in. Adapted from the short story In Sight of the Lake by Alice Munro, Piano Lessons insightfully and empathetically depicts the experience of people with age-related dementia. The film presents a person-centered perspective, emphasizing not the cognitive decline in people with late-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s but the capacity for meaningful relationships and the knowledge that endures.
Prof. Goldman's most recent work examines the connection between shame and stigma, specifically as relates to age. Exploring her subject through the lenses of literature, film, street art, and technology, she seeks to re-imagine marginalized identities while translating her research into accessible narrative forms. Learn how to contact Prof. Goldman and explore her teaching at reserarch here.