As all first days go, the first class was a quiet one. Rohan was introduced by Rachel and then we went over to watch the documentary produced by Rohan. I had no idea what to expect, as I had stayed away from watching any trailers or short clips. I usually enjoy submersing myself in a film without much exposure beforehand. ‘Winter at Westbeth’ was not at all like I had imagined. I did not expect it to be set in New York, and Rohan told us that he had visited New York a total of five times to complete filming. I was more surprised that I had never before heard of Westbeth, which is a sort of apartment complex for artists. At Westbeth we are introduced to three characters. The documentary follows these characters and their lives tied to Westbeth. Ilsa is the first character introduced, she is a poet, a breast cancer survivor and resident of Westbeth. I was drawn to her because of the way she held her self. Unlike most elderly people, who care very little of what others think of them, it seems that with age Ilsa has become more withdrawn. I have no comparison of her younger self but later on we find out that she’s afraid of losing her memories and other cognitive abilities.

Edith is the second character we meet and by far the most unique. She is the epitome of a rebel and creative artist, with her outgoing and extroverted character. She wears bright colours and enjoys doing make up. She has an editor who helps her create videos, as she at ninety five, does not believe her age is limiting to her creativity. One of the most memorable parts of this documentary was when Edith dances. We see her outside of the apartment building, dancing the same as she used to, with no care for a particular practice.

Dudley is the last and perhaps the most heart tearing character we meet. His passion for ballet as well as the struggles he has been through, is evident from the look in his eyes. Losing his partner had killed him inside and this is reflected on his surroundings. He was always on the road and barely spent time home and now that he is older, being at home without his partner and ballet is no home for him. Dudley is the type of elderly person I am most used to seeing. As I volunteered at my local aged care facility, the elderly I met there were very similar to him. Most of them had lost their partners and a sense of who they were. Most of them could no longer stay alone and moved into the facility. Similar to Dudley, majority of them avoided forming new friendships and relationships, as the one they had lost had broken them.

Winter at Westbeth is now one of my favourite documentaries(not saying that just for Rohan to read). It truly made me wonder what kind of person I would grow old to be. It made me want to passionately pursue something so that when I got to their age, I would have a legacy to leave behind. Edith will leave her films and dances, Ilsa will leave behind her poems and Dudley left behind an inspiring ballet career. I hope that whatever I leave behind matters, even if it matters for one person alone.