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USA, 2009, 84 min Directed by ARON GAUDET Southeast Premiere |
At a wind-swept airport in Bangor, Maine, planes arrive 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, filled with US soldiers flying to or from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every soldier--nearly a million in the past six years--has been welcomed with a handshake and a hug provided by a group of local senior citizens, the Maine Troop Greeters. They've made history with a round-the-clock effort to show appreciation via the simple act of human contact. For director Aron Gaudet--whose mother is one of the greeters--they've also redefined what it means to be a senior citizen. Confronted with health problems, depression, financial debt, and loss of meaning in their lives, the three greeters profiled in the film find more than just escape at the airport. They rediscover their own identities and personal strength, demonstrating the value of seniors to a world that's devalued them and the meaning of community at a time when many American have lost faith in their country. Regardless of your politics, THE WAY WE GET BY--a raw and deeply intimate portrayal of life and how to live it--will change the way you look at growing old.Preceded by
GERMANS IN THE WOODS
USA, 2008, 3 Min
Directed by
TIM RAUCH
Florida Premiere
Amid memories of the Battle of The Bulge and its unrelenting carnage, one death stands out. 
