The morning Diane Ament’s husband died, an email arrived with an unexpected glimmer of hope. It was from director Sean Cisterna, via her seniors drama group, and it asked if she’d like to join the crew of short horror film “The Rug.”
“(My husband) would have loved for me to do that,” the 82-year-old says. “So I did.” She joined the production as a makeup artist, one of eight seniors on the crew. None of them had any professional film experience, but each one had a passion for trying something new.
Cisterna captured the moviemaking process in his new documentary “Silver Screamers,” screening April 3 at the Hot Docs Cinema.
“Being in the film industry for the bulk of my life, it’s kind of become routine,” he says. “So to experience a working film set through these new eyes — even though they’re the eyes of people who have lived many years — to see their excitement, that was thrilling to me.”
Working on “The Rug” — about an older woman who sics a killer rug on her enemies — provided its participants with both purpose and pals, two things that often feel out of reach for many seniors struggling with isolation and ennui, turning “Silver Screamers” into a moving (and often funny) ode to the power of abandoning your comfort zone and forging both community and new skills.
One of Cisterna’s favourite days on set was when 80-year-old SFX coordinator David Swift came up with the winning idea of how to make the murderous rug’s moves look seamless: have a kid do it. That is what he’ll take away from the film, Cisterna says: “No matter how old you are, you have a story to tell and you have this creative wisdom and experience to give.”
Cisterna is currently screening the film at libraries and retirement homes across the GTA and giving filmmaking workshops to help other seniors tap into their creative side.
Like Ament, Bari-Lynne Butters, 80, was eager for a little creative distraction: her husband was due for cancer treatment that spring and she figured working on a film set come May could take her mind off her troubles. “I’ll need something uplifting in my life by then.” Butters remembers thinking. Her teaching background made her a natural fit for the first assistant director position. “I wished I’d had more lead time to learn about it, but the second day of shooting was a lot better than the first day,” Butters says.
Chatting with her fellow senior filmmakers was a real highlight. “It was amazing to just learn about the lives of the other seniors and get to know them and what made them tick and what their interests were and how they kept learning,” Butters says. “That seemed to be a common thread: as we’ve aged, we’ve tried to do things that stretch us a little bit.” She’s forged lasting friendships with some of them, going for lunches and travelling together to screenings.
Being around crew members of all ages was also invigorating for Butters. “As a senior person, taking part in this project was wonderful because in the business, everyone is young and you’re surrounded by young people…And when you’re surrounded by that, I think it’s uplifting. It’s good for the soul and it’s good for your mindset.”
“You gotta try new things,” Anthony Garramone, 73, agrees. He took on the prop master role and had to source everything from brooms to cookie sheets, and stepped into the green-screen suit for a pivotal scene with the rampaging rug. The experience even inspired him to take on his first role in a play.
Ament loved the challenges that came with making a horror film, whether it was wielding the blood sprayer or applying the red stuff to prosthetics “to make them look more freshly eaten,” she says. She’s a big proponent of seniors expanding their horizons; Ament herself is the oldest one in her improv group and is also learning Italian. “You have to keep your mind active, you have to keep doing things,” she says. “Just reading a book is not good enough.”
“Learn something every day” is also the motto of Sonny Lauzon, 80. He at least had some experience making videos going into his role as a camera operator, but nothing beyond the hobby level. Post–“The Rug,” he’s inspired to hopefully expand his video-making side hustle, and is grateful for all the time with the more sophisticated cameras and tutelage from his pro mentor — and getting to know his co-workers. “It’s something that is definitely unforgettable and will be cherished for the rest of my life,” Lauzon says. “There were nine of us — total strangers to each other — and we ended up friends.”
As predicted, the experience helped Butters find joy again after enduring her husband’s treatment. And Ament is sure that her husband would have been elated to see her thrive on set. “I just wish that things like that had been around when I was in high school to be able to do for your career,” she says. “But I’m doing it now.”
