Green Winter

This is a moving and inspirational look at the process of aging. Filmmaker Elda Hartley, who, with her husband Irving, has spent some forty years in the filmmaking business, gives a candid account of her coming to terms with the inevitable physical and mental deterioration we all face. During the course of the filming, Mrs. Hartley watched her husband lose a good portion of his mental and locomotion skills. Although hurt and bewildered by her husband's decline, Mrs. Hartley found solace in the Buddhist teachings of Alan Watts on reincarnation, as well as the promise of eternal life promised by Christian theology. She also sought out many elderly people who attributed their good health and high spirits to eating frugally and working regularly at a job or hobby which made them happy. Mrs. Hartley, herself, has found much joy in working all aspects of a business which, until quite recently, was almost exclusively male-dominated. The film ends with Irving Hartley entering a convalescent home. Recommended, especially for libraries with extensive outreach programs. (Available from: Hartley Productions, Cat Rock Road, Cos Cob, CT 06807).