Closer than ever before: insights into parallel ageing of older people and their even older parents from the cinematic genius of no home movie.

Abstract

Introduction: Ageing is an increasingly popular subject in modern cinema, as prominent directors contend with the advancing age of both themselves and their parents. Within cultural gerontology and medical humanities, cinema provides unique insights into the heterogeneous experience of ageing, often surpassing what is possible with other methods of qualitative analysis.

Methods: We analyse 65-year-old Chantal Ackerman's final film No Home Movie, a documentary following her 86-year-old mother, Natalia, in the last phase of her life. We assess Ackerman's depiction of her mother at this age and how this relates to Ackerman's own attitudes towards ageing. Through this, we examine the modern cultural phenomenon of children and parents existing simultaneously in the 'older demographic', the effect this may have on parent-child relationships, and how this is represented in No Home Movie.

Results: No Home Movie reveals Ackerman's fascination, admiration and also apprehension of living into extended old age. We obtain a first-hand account of Natalia's experience of ageing, revealing a certain tranquillity and contentment, even amidst a more restricted life. Chantal and Natalia's relationship is fluid and dynamic, their roles oscillating between that care-giver and care-receiver, but most commonly expressed as a friendship of peers.

Conclusions: Cinema is a rich area for interpretation and interrogation around the topic of ageing. This paper on No Home Movie is an example of how the study of cinema can contribute to ageing scholarship. No Home Movie highlights the unique joys and challenges of intergenerational relationships in the setting of our growing longevity.