WALTER: Lessons from the World's Oldest People

2013 • 83 minutes

About this movie

After an encounter with Walter Breuning, the World's Oldest Man, Hunter Weeks and his fiancée, Sarah, embark on an adventure to meet the oldest people in the world, including some of the people born in the 1800s. Capturing the extraordinary lives of people 110 years or older, including World's Oldest Person, Besse Cooper of Georgia, the couple's journey sheds light on what is truly important in life. Traveling across the United States, Cuba, and Italy, Hunter and Sarah explore life's lessons through the stories of several living supercentenarians and the families that support them. Walter connects us to the inspiring lives of our elders and their lessons for living life right.

Ratings and reviews

I saw this film at a screening in New York. The films real strength is that it doesn't throw facts and figures at you, or treat these people of extraordinary age like a circus act. Bypassing a standard 'Observe and Report' approach the filmmakers immerse themselves in the subject allowing the viewer to experience fleeting visits with these elders and then perhaps reflect upon their own lives and the people within it. A slowburner that provides good food for post viewing thought.

This documentary is one of those films that you will probably not forget. Evolving around some of the oldest people in the world, it is an intimate invitation to reflections on personal values and their historical possibilities and constraints. But the film also portraits the contemporary fascination with age, numbers, statistics and records, and its role in media and politics, starting with the idea of making the film itself, and, implicitly, our attraction to the topic as viewers.

This is a wonderful film that allowed me my intelligence to look and consider life on life terms with my own understanding, by not forcing a direction and not controlling for a intended outcome of thought. Beautiful in it's refreshing return to look at life on life's terms, and not just what we have to say about it, or how we can manipulate this life given us. There is a point to this film without the in your face point... I appreciate being allowed to figure this out myself. Bravo. Wonderful editing. The makers of this film leaves the much to think about to the audience. Thank you for that.