Novi Elementary Students Interviewed for Documentary Film

How old is old?

This is the question filmmaker and Novi resident Keith Famie was asking students at Novi Woods Elementary School on Tuesday as he filmed for his upcoming documentary The Embrace of Aging.

The film is part of a three-part series. The first part features the male perspective on aging, the second part will feature the female perspective, and part three will focus on death.

Famie and his crew at Visionalist Entertainment Productions have been filming for the past 16 months all over the world, and he expects the film to be done by the end of November.

He has shot more than 100 hours of film for the two-hour documentary, which takes a look at the latest progressive teachings; well-known medical universities; and the advice of health gurus, spiritual leaders, psychologists and men of all walks of life from vastly different environments, all facing the inevitability of growing old.

The film features one Florida man as he deals with his terminal cancer, a group of senior softball players in Michigan, and centenarians in Italy, among others.

"The goal is that it becomes a film that every guy has to see," Famie said.

Famie said the film is a mix of very serious content and lighthearted content. He got the idea to add in interviews with children to add some humor to the documentary.

Famie asked 15 boys in second and third grade at Novi Woods about their views on aging, including what being old looks like, what a heart attack is, and if they know what's in a man cave.

"I wanted to add a component of how young men think about older men," Famie said. 

The boys' answers were at sometimes confused, cute or funny.

Third grader Seth Wood, for example, said people are old when they turn 45 or 50, while second grader Calvin Taulbee gave a precise answer of age 99.

Novi Woods Principal David Ascher said he was happy to help Famie with the film to give some students a new experience.

"It's neat to partner with other people," Ascher said. "The students might go home and talk about this big light that was over their head or the microphone. Just to get them thinking about something different is important."

To find out what else the students had to say about getting old, you'll have to watch the fim.

The Embrace of Aging will be shown at Emagine Theatre, on PBS and at other venues. Dates will be announced later.

To learn more about the film and to view a trailer, visit embraceofaging.com.