February 5, 2007.
"Accomplished Women From 85 To 100 Years of Age"
by Amy Gorman and Greg Young, Sheila Malkind and singer Faith Petric
"Still Kicking," a documentary on Accomplished Women from 85 to 100 years of age by Amy Gorman and Greg Young. Amy, author and filmmaker (with Greg Young), will present profiles of women between 85 and 105 in the visual and performing arts. The book is "Aging Artfully." The movie, "Still Kicking," is well-known and has been presented at various venues. You will learn about dancer Dorothy Toy, 89, Lily Hurst, 105 and still playing the piano, and Madeline Mason, 104, a sculptor and dollmaker, to name a few. Discover the new vision for growing old that Amy Gorman developed after speaking with these remarkable pioneers.
Faith Petric, well-known chanteuse and one of Amy's subjects, also will perform.
Sheila Malkind also will present a few short films. She is known for her filmmaking and teaching utilizing her Silver Legacy Film series including "Old /Schmold." Executive Director, Legacy Film Series, presents independent and little-known films that celebrate elders and deal with the challenges and triumphs of aging. Ms Malkind moved to the Bay area from Chicago where she was the director of the Silver Images Film Festival for three years, presenting films that celebrated older adults. A published writer and photographer, she holds a Master of Arts degree (MA) in Clinical Psychology (Roosevelt University, Chicago), and a Master of Public Health degree (MPH), specializing in gerontology (University of Illinois at Chicago).
The Legacy Film Series has presented its programs in collaboration with Saybrook Graduate School, the Pacific Institute, and the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, which recently hosted Legacy's Second Annual Older Adult Film Festival)
Tonight we will view "Afloat" (5'15"): With surreal images of underwater movement and delightful swimming pool scenes, the stories told by the elderly swimmers become weightless and ageless memories.
Old Woman, Sandra Martin (4:17'). While looking through her photo album, a 100-year-old woman reminisces about her life, urging others to look beyond her aging exterior and see the young girl still inside.
As one viewer said, "(these films) allow younger people to see their potential in older years and older people to appreciate their journey into senior life." Another viewer wrote: "These films and videos help us live our lives with respect, courage, and value."
In her book of interviews, Ms. Gorman reveals what she discovered about "aging artfully" from interviewing twelve remarkable San Francisco Bay Area women ages 83-105, who are still living with zest in the visual and performing arts. This must-have book for all ages has 100+ photos and uplifting stories about how their creativity is changing negative attitudes associated with advanced age.
Faith Petric has been called the Earth Mother of the San Francisco Folk Music Club. She comes from the mountains of Idaho where she grew up on hymns, cowboy songs and country music. In the 1930s she became part of the ragged band who began using folk music as a political organizing tool. She knows songs about almost everything, from things revolutionary to things ridiculous, from kids' songs to jaw harp tunes. Faith is the real article - a genuine repository of all that is best in the American spirit.
February 19, 2007
"The Labor Movement, Past, Present and Future"
by Labor writer Dick Meister
Noe Valley journalist Dick Meister regales us with his tales and knowledge of our heroes vis-a-vis the labor movement. Co-author of "A Long Time Coming," a history of farm labor, we also know Meister's work as a writer for UP, AP, The SF Chronicle and The San Jose Mercury News, and his presence on PBS and KQED.
