Blog archive
April 2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
FILMS WORTHY OF AN OSCAR
By Blog MasterPosted: 03/01/2021
SHORT FILMS WORTHY OF AN OSCAR!
In November 2020, seven women from Pasadena Village signed up to take a story-telling and filmmaking class given by Shauna McGarry from the Echo Park Film Center. At the end of the class, each participant produced a short film about a defining event from their lives. On a Sunday afternoon in February the women, assisted by Shauna, shared their projects via Zoom before a large appreciative audience of Village members and friends.
We all have stories from our lives and, of course, the longer we have lived, the more stories there are to tell. Each of the women had to select one story from their life, just one, and then whittle that story down to five minutes or less – a big challenge! Loss was a common thread running through all of the films - loss of a spouse or partner, loss of a beloved pet, loss of a long-time home, loss of one’s vision, loss of a lifestyle. But also abundantly clear in the films was a shared foundational sense of hope and renewal.
With the expert guidance of instructor Shauna McGarry, they “polished” their words down to a “golden nugget” that said it all. With art and photos and film clips, the stories came together. Each woman narrated her own story with her own illustrations. It was a bonding experience as they helped each other condense, condense, condense. The results were illuminating, heart-warming, and revealing. Here’s what we learned:
Sandy Biery, after a career focused on art and dance, is still dancing to celebrate life and the environment. Sally Currie treasured the time with her second husband, Tom, who continues to inspire her poetry. Katherine Gabel transformed her grief at the loss of her dog into the “animal energy” of two rescue kittens. Sally Asmundsen shared two “leaps” in her life, emphasizing the confidence that she gained in the process. Lark Ruffner re-kindled her adventurous spirit post-retirement by going on the road in her van named “Kerouac” (voiced by husband, Howard). Artist Karen Bagnard faced the loss of her vision with renewed artistic creativity. And Jean Owen celebrated the love of her 54 year marriage that was deeply rooted in her love of the Pasadena community.
Pasadena Village members are hoping there is another opportunity to sign up for a filmmaking class at Echo Park Film Center, which has received funding from AARP to use filmmaking to nurture creativity in older adults. We all have rich stories to tell from our life experiences. We are grateful to Shauna and the Echo Park Film Center for this experience which challenged us to learn new skills and allowed us the opportunity to help our Village friends know us even better.
Watch the film festival here