Wednesday, February 24, 2010
GIVING BACK GIVES BACK
Today's film was the documentary
The focus is on the troop greeters at Bangor Airport the crossroads almost all planes going to or coming from Iraq and Afghanistan. The greeters are mostly people of a certain age.
The film focuses on the goodbyes and the welcome homes and many touching times with the troops but goes further than that. It explores what this volunteer work means to three of the old timers who faithfully carry out the mission. They are all pushing the end of life. You can see and hear how this work affects them. It is quite inspirational.
The interesting thing is that the director, Aron Gaudet, has chosen three people who have significant problems of their own. Loneliness, loss, serious illness, compulsive behaviors. They are seen closeup warts and all. The service they do is clearly a major experience in long and difficult lives. It transforms them. We stay with the people over a long period of time to see a span of their lives.
One of them is Ms. Gaudet's mother. It is truly an inside story.
These people are older than I am. They are living out more difficulties than I expect I will have. But who knows? I will remember some of the lessons from this fine film.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.
Labels: films
