By Kathy Hughes
Contributing Writer
What is it like to live to be 100, and beyond? A documentary, “Older than Ireland,” explores this topic by interviewing thirty men and women who are “of an age.” What they do and say will surprise you from the very outset. The oldest man is 108, the oldest woman, 113. They all lived in Ireland during the last century, but this multi-award winning documentary is not about Ireland, it is a collage of life itself.
You may have read about Kathleen Snavely, who passed away only recently here in Syracuse at age 113. She was the oldest of the people interviewed by the film crew for the film, and, who gives a lucid and spirited account of herself. Seeing this warm documentary, will leave you older and wiser, and strangely, at peace. “Older than Ireland” is recommended for everyone, but especially those who live or work with people who are faced with aging, which is everybody. It is hard to fear this time of life once you witness how the centenarians just carry on with life, as best they can, and to realize that our daily anxieties are not so important in the scheme of things.
One can only wonder how thirty, 100 year old men and women from all over Ireland were found, but the sample includes diverse economic groups, married and never-married, some living on their own, others with assistance or in a nursing home. There are no couples. What the group has in common is life experience — spanning three or four generations — and an ability to communicate, admittedly more for some than others, but all have their mental faculties intact. Some are disabled, from the bed-ridden to those living on their own, but physical health is not the point. They may be 100, and much else, but in the end they are just people.
The film is divided into themes — with several individuals reflecting in turn on topics including love, marriage, loss, childhood and historical events. There’s no doubt, they will surprise you, but even more, you will have an intimate glimpse into their lives. Each episode is recounted from the person’s living environment, straight from the living room to the kitchen, in a car, on a lawn mower, under a hair dryer or in the grocery store. These unrehearsed scenes reveal added insights of each person’s character and personality.
If you are perplexed by the title, it was 100 years ago this year that the Irish Republic was born, beginning with the Uprising of 2016, and all of the participants were born before that. Many of them actually remember the strife and fear that accompanied the revolt.
“Older than Ireland” is directed by Alex Fegan, who is already established as an award winning film maker in Ireland, and this effort has won practically every award for which it was eligible.
“Older than Ireland,” is not as yet on any film streaming service, nor is it available to rent or buy in the United States. What brought the filmmakers to Syracuse for a one evening premier, was their relationship with Kathleen Snavely, who was born in Ireland, then lived in Syracuse as an active business woman, finally residing in St. Camillus at the point of her interview. She was 113 years old, and, having since passed on, many of the St. Camillus staff attended showing at the Palace Theater. Syracusan Micha L. Crook, as stateside producer of the documentary, was able to arrange our Syracuse premier as a fundraiser for the Syracuse Food Bank.
The Syracuse March event preceded the official debut in Boston several weeks hence, and the movie has since opened in New York and Albany. Further travel is scheduled across the U.S., and should release the film for distribution to streaming, purchase and rental outlets. At present, only a trailer is available on YouTube. After seeing “Older than Ireland” at Syracuse viewing, I could not wait for this slow release, and was able to purchase it through Amazon’s UK outlet.
*Note: In an earlier version of this column and in the print edition, information for a film showing of “Older Than Ireland” was presented. Due to copyright law, viewings of this type will not be permitted.
