THE STORY – A decade-long global journey chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate, and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Sam Green (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 87 Minutes
The quote that filmmaker Sam Green had on the wall of his studio for many years came from poet Joseph Brodsky, and it reads as follows: “It is a virtue, I came to believe long ago, not to make a meal out of one’s emotional life. There’s always enough work to do, not to mention that there’s world enough outside.” “The Oldest Person in the World,” Green’s seventh feature documentary to play at the Sundance Film Festival, shines as a resounding reminder that a world beyond one’s own is more enriching. By admission, Green makes a meal of emotional life in this film, incorporating personal ups and downs into the narrative. The documentary is also his life’s work in cinematic form, and it’s a line of work dedicated to exploring the lives of others. Born out of an obsession with the Guinness Book of World Records, Green became fascinated by the mythic quality of the title for the world’s oldest person and by what drives journalists worldwide to report on the ever-changing record holders. His decade-long direction, curious and vulnerable in equal measure, chronicles a globe-trotting search for wisdom on life and death.
On July 7, 2015, the oldest person in the world was Susannah Mushatt Jones (aged 116) of Brooklyn, New York. When Green discovered that Susannah was a few subway stops away from him, and that a public birthday party was being held for her, he spotted an opportunity for a creative project. He would spend a day filming Miss Susie (as she was known to family and friends) and her niece, Lavilla Watson. Green would then travel wherever the next record holder took him: Italy (Emma Morano), Jamaica (Violet Mosse-Brown), Japan (Kane Tanaka), France (Sister André, née Lucile Randon), and Spain (Maria Branyas Morera). We are given a glimpse into the worlds of five incredibly fascinating women, each posed with the same question: “What’s your secret?” The answers vary, mirroring the unpredictability and mystery of life itself. “Eat three raw eggs a day,” shared Emma Morano (aged 117 during filming), “and stay as far away from men as possible.” When Emma was in her 20s, she was forced to marry her neighbor; he threatened to kill her if she didn’t. After a few years together, she kicked him out and lived happily alone ever since. Emma’s perspective on an age-old question helps create a profound portrait of longevity and a thoughtful observation on what it means to have lived a long life.
Sometimes, a moment of reflection goes underestimated. In one scene from the filmmaker’s encounter with Emma, he notes that she sits quietly in her armchair, looking into the camera rather than pretending it’s not there. He then sits with her, and she takes his hand whilst holding eye contact, crafting an intimate experience before our eyes. The film’s play-by-play narration distracts from a gesture that, in its simplicity, carries a quiet power. The narration can be disruptive and redundant overall, but the level of curiosity in Green’s direction allows many thoughtful conversations to break through.
In one of the film’s most resonant moments, we meet Violet Mosse-Brown, a 117-year-old Jamaican woman who recites a poem she memorized more than a century earlier. When asked for a word of life advice, she passes down what a schoolteacher once shared with her: “Violet, catch and hold.” The schoolteacher had given Violet a poem called “Vision of Belshazzar,” the impact of which is felt when Violet begins to recall an excerpt. With Violet’s recital comes a wave of stirring emotionality. This moment echoes the Joseph Brodsky quote: “There’s world enough outside,” and it’s not a world driven by self. It’s defined by the capacity for selflessness, where we can find space to explore profound human experiences and engage with concepts (like aging, time, or death) that are much bigger than any one person.
Green’s direction embodies a worldwide fascination and curiosity about what the world’s oldest people have learned. We often see new record holders make headlines and appear in news segments. We see footage of their birthday parties, attended by reporters who ask them that age-old question, so that we can get in on the secret to a long life. While Green himself can’t get around this question, he spends enough time also engaging in conversation with record holders on a more personal level, conveying their individuality and leaving room for intriguing stories to unfold. Through these encounters, there’s insightful discourse between wondering about the secret to longevity and accepting the vulnerability of never figuring it out.
In this decade-long search for the oldest person in the world, Green finds himself vulnerable (as we all are) to not knowing what tomorrow brings. As the project unfolds, we are introduced to his son, Atlas (born in 2015), whose childhood shows the passage of time. There’s a playfulness to their conversations about the subject, wherein more words of wisdom are shared (“[Time] is infinity. It never stops”). By this point in the film, Green has revisited how he wishes to spend his time. The storytelling had become heavy and emotional; he had included several unexpected developments in his own life, from a serious illness to the death of his younger brother. Green adds levity with an archival montage of people engaging in everyday acts of joy, a refreshing visual that underlines how fleetingly life moves. Some of the film’s editing, such as a montage of photographs set to the sound of ticking clocks, drives that feeling home.
While the sprawling storytelling can be disjointed at times, and some topics fall short of intrigue, “The Oldest Person in the World” offers several impactful moments to reflect meaningfully on aging. Green follows through on his compulsion and explores a fascinating subject with curiosity, while introducing us to an equally fascinating group of individuals from around the world. The glimpses into their lives may be fleeting, but the resonance of their stories reverberates.
