Yesterday, at the St. Boniface Research Centre, we sat together and watched all 90 minutes of the documentary Human Forever. It wasn’t just a film screening—it was an experience. One that lingered long after the credits rolled.
The documentary doesn’t shout. It doesn’t sensationalize. Instead, it gently, but powerfully, reveals a truth we often overlook: how we care for our elders speaks volumes about who we are—as individuals, as communities, as a society.
We saw moments of joy, resilience, tenderness—and quiet grief. We saw older adults not as patients, but as people. Full, complex, still becoming. We saw caregivers whose work is often invisible, carrying the emotional, physical, and spiritual weight of others.
And we saw the contrast. Between systems built to care and those built to contain. Between homes filled with life and institutions stripped of it. Human Forever made us ask: Are we upholding dignity—or just delivering services?
Aging Is a Mirror
Aging reveals us. Not just the person aging—but those around them. It asks:
- Will we rush past our elders, or sit beside them?
- Will we value their wisdom, or write them off?
- Will we build systems that nurture, or simply maintain?
Too often, long-term care becomes an afterthought—underfunded, overburdened, and invisible. But Human Forever reminds us that elder care is not a policy footnote. It’s a reflection of our collective character.
What Kind of Society Do We Want to Be?
A society that truly values its people at every stage invests in care. Not just beds and buildings, but relationships, stories, meaning. It supports the workers who make care possible. It designs spaces that feel like home. It listens when elders speak.
This film is a quiet but urgent call to action. Not just to tweak policies, but to transform perspectives.
As we left the screening, there was a stillness. A kind of reverence. Not because the film was sad—but because it was honest. And in that honesty, it gave us a gift: the chance to reflect on how we’re living, and how we hope to age.
It made one thing unmistakably clear:
If we want to remain truly human—forever—we must care for each other. Especially in the final chapters.