Experts in Their Own Aging
Sherian talking with friends over homemade soup and biscuits.
Robert engaging in an enjoyable ritual.
Emily reading one of her poems for a podcast.
Experts In Their Own Aging is a video series created for Portland State University's Institute on Aging
Portland State University’s Institute on Aging worked the Oregon Health Authority on a project to help improve mental health services for older adults through training and education. One of the things that emerged was that many people (including those who provide social, health, and mental health services), lack understanding about how most people experience aging.
As a way to address this issue, Eleusis Films worked with the Institute on Aging to create videos of older adults engaging in their daily lives and sharing their experiences and reflections around nine key topics: Activities, Age-Friendly City, Difficulties of Aging, Life Course Perspective, Messages to Providers, Pleasures of Aging, Rural Aging, Selectivity, Optimization & Compensation, and Surprises of Aging.
View sample videos here:
Cooking with Brain Injury and Friending with Brain Injury
Short comedies about experiences of life after brain injury, created with Storyminders
Storyminders’ short comedies have been shown at disability film festivals, corporate diversity trainings, professional conferences, brain injury support groups and residential facilities, and to family members, clinicians, and students in allied health and rehabilitation.
"Cooking with Brain Injury" is a short comedy film with an insider look into realistic everyday difficulties after brain injury. It shows emotional outbursts, confusion and disorganization. And it relies on humor because after laughter comes more acceptance, hope and creative problem-solving. Follow Bill and Cheryl as they show how the truth really is stranger than fiction.
Eleusis Films shot and edited this film in collaboration with Storyminders.
Like many people with a brain injury, Bill and Cheryl lost their social connections. They attempt to win a friendship with Jacqui on a surreal daytime TV show. Things go awry when the host tries to run things her way. The contestants have all had traumatic brain injuries in real life. They bring their experiences with social isolation, stigma, and communication difficulties to this short comedy film.
"Friending with Brain Injury!" created in collaboration with Storyminders.