NO BRIEF CANDLE - About the Film

NO BRIEF CANDLE
In a small, mirrored dance studio, a class is beginning its weekly immersion into ancient rhythms, stretching and swaying to an Afro-Brazilian beat. The room fills with the primal pulses of drums as the dancers move across the floor. We glance through the sea of shifting feet and note that one pair appears a little more timeworn than the others. Looking up, we encounter Dee, 84, awash in a colorful tunic, dangling earrings and a blissful grin as she celebrates the joy of dancing. ____-About the Title-

NO BRIEF CANDLE By the year 2030, the over-65 population in the United States will nearly double in size, welcoming into its ranks over 77 million baby boomers. This generation has reshaped every era they have journeyed through ~ their later years will prove no exception…and they want to know the good news about getting older. No Brief Candle, a documentary work-in-progress directed by award-winning filmmaker Claire Marie Panke, profiles three people living out the “third act” of their lives with grace, creativity, and a knack for reinvention. CHARACTERS For Paul, a portrait artist who started painting at age 51; Dee, our African dancer who continues her work as a writer; and Anita, an actress, playwright and poet, the power of creative expression knows no age boundaries. Their stories reveal the physical and emotional challenges of our later years, exploring the complex palette of aging, but also our potential to reinvent ourselves at any age. No Brief Candle interweaves these characters’ stories, blending active, kinetic segments that reveal their passions with more contemplative, quiet moments. Each approach expresses a different aspect of aging and can help reframe stereotypes: the action is more commonplace than most assume, and the stillness more complex. OUTREACH AND AUDIENCE Harnessing the powerful role that media plays in shaping attitudes and values, No Brief Candle is intended for television broadcast. Festival screenings will increase visibility and publicity, and an extensive outreach campaign targeting schools, universities, arts communities and other markets for both boomers and older adults, will ensure a long life for the film. With its upbeat tone, lively characters and universal themes, No Brief Candle will touch a wide audience, sharing its revelation of continued meaning, renewal and joy.