Concordia University Chicago Center for Gerontology Distinguished Speaker Series presents Jim Vanden Bosch, executive director of Terra Nova Films, who will lead you through a rich exploration of how elderhood and aging are presented in most mainstream feature films today. Do negative attitudes and perceptions about aging (often unconsciously held) still live in filmic stories involving older adults? Have they shifted in the tone of their expression? Clips from several recent feature films and a couple documentaries will illustrate this exploration, and there will be ample time for questions and discussion.
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Jim Vanden Bosch is a filmmaker and the founder and executive director of Terra Nova Films, a not-for-profit company specializing in producing and distributing films and videos on a wide variety of aging related issues. Throughout the years he has produced over 50 films, including a series on geriatric healthcare for the American Journal of Nursing, and several videos on caregiving, dementia, and elder abuse.
Vanden Bosch is also an associate editor in the arts and humanities section of The Gerontologist, an academic journal of the Gerontological Society of America. In this position he writes reviews of mainstream feature films that deal with aging and elderhood themes. He also presents frequently at conferences and workshops on aging, using a multimedia approach that incorporates relevant video stories into the presentation. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Film and Television from the University of Iowa.