100UP (2021)

Directed by: Heddy Honigmann | 93 minutes | documentary

“Why do you get up every morning?” asks Heddy Honigmann. “Because I have to go to the hospital of course!” replies the 102-year-old Peruvian doctor. In ‘100UP’ Honigmann follows six hundred and over who are still fully alive. Despite their different backgrounds and cultures, they have one thing in common: they have an inexhaustible zest for life.

We are dealing with a very colorful group. For example, we meet Raul; a doctor from Peru, Shirley; a sex therapist from New York and Laila from Norway, who still manages to survive between the rugged Norwegian fjords. They reflect on the past, but the focus is mainly on the present and the future. They hold on to life and continue to set goals, small or big.

The 105-year-old Hans from The Hague argues that man is the only living organism with the ability to plan, even if these can only be realized after a century. He has worked all his life for human rights, but now he thinks it is time to remind people of their duties. At the age of 104, for example, he is still taking a computer course so that he can start an online platform, because he knows that in the future everything will go via the internet.

For example, all the characters in ‘100UP’ show that they know how to make themselves useful in their own way and that to a large extent they also keep them standing. Naturally, they face the loss of those around them and, in some ways, of who they once were. Nevertheless, Honigmann shows that these elderly people are all still as valuable and indispensable as they have always been. The most important thing is that you should continue what you have always done and continue to take yourself seriously, despite the fact that old age brings inescapable (physical) limitations. They don’t seem at all afraid of death, but more content with the fact that it is finite.

Interesting is the discussion between the two sisters Zussman about whether or not they should celebrate the birthday of their deceased mother. One does not see the point of it, since the mother has been dead for over 30 years and finds it a waste of precious time. She wants to look ahead and live in the now. The other sister largely agrees, but also believes that it can go hand in hand with a reflection on the past. Everything you experience ultimately shapes who you are and who you become.

All in all, ‘100UP’ is a very suitable documentary to watch, especially in difficult times. The zest for life of the elderly is contagious and makes you want to get out of your lazy chair to enjoy life more consciously. The message of ‘100UP’ is therefore loud and clear. Make yourself useful, set small and big goals, plan for the future and love the people around you. It seems to be the success formula for a long and happy life.