Filmmaker Robin Baker Leacock’s new documentary Stella and Co. is a celebration of the extraordinary life of her 104-year old mother, Stella, and a group of vibrant seniors — ages 75 to 105 — living their best lives. The film delivers a thought-provoking and positive look at what it means to age in modern times, through humor, music and storytelling. The 50-minute film, Robin Baker Leacock’s fifth, is produced and directed by Robin Baker Leacock. Stella and Co, the sequel to STELLA IS 95 previously seen on PBS, will be shown nationally on PBS for Mother’s Day and beyond.
Unlike other cultures that venerate their elders, Americans tend to place older people aside. Upon spending time with Stella and her friends, it’s quite clear that seniors have much to offer and have earned a central role in our society — one of the seniors, Estelle Craig, or ‘Stella,’ has written five books since the age of 100. Through conversation and an inside look at a dynamic senior residence and through the joyful life experiences of some of its residents, we gain a new perspective on growing old.
“Stella and Co is about looking at our elders through a different lens. My hope is that this film will encourage people to remember the great treasure we have in our older generation. They have accomplished extraordinary things and have much to teach us, far past their retirement years,’ comments Robin Baker Leacock. “We are living in extraordinary times, especially in the era of Coronavirus, where our aged population is vulnerable as never before. I wanted to give a voice to the brilliance of older people as it’s so important to value our elders. The goal is to offer viewers a much-needed forward-thinking shift in perspective. Aging is a subject that affects all of us. There is so much to do in terms of our older population.”
