Sundance Film Festival alumnus Sam Green began his documentary, “The Oldest Person in the World,” out of simple curiosity about why people are fascinated with the record holders. Instead, what ensued is a 10-year odyssey exploring mortality, fate and the passage of time.
Green started filming on July 7, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York. At that time, the oldest person in the world was 116-year-old Susannah “Miss Susie” Mushatt Jones. Green spent the day filming Miss Susie and her 86-year-old niece, Lavilla. Although Miss Susie mostly remained in a trance-like sleep, Green recalled the interview as one of the most inspiring he’d ever done and said the profound display of love and care somehow changed him.
The documentary’s focus eventually shifted, with Green exploring deeper themes about the mystery of life and death as he spent the next decade filming the seven other oldest people in the world.
“Why does this resonate with us in this strange way? And what does it mean? And how do we navigate through life with all these big mysteries? Nobody knows how long they’re going to live. Could it end tomorrow? Could you be 116 years old? Nobody knows,” he said.
Green recognized audiences might be bored watching a 90-minute film where (spoiler alert?) the main characters die. He even considered including scenes from the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” to show the repetitive narrative of life one day after another, but felt there needed to be a positive narrative.
So, he crafted a documentary focused on each supercentenarian while weaving larger concepts to keep people in their seats.
“My first take on the movie was that I’ll just film each person and make a little portrait, and that’ll be it. But after a while, it gets old, and you’re just like ‘Not another one.’ It sort of becomes this relentless thing,” Green said.
Part of the storytelling process involved intertwining moments from Green’s personal life — the birth of his son, the death of his younger brother, a serious illness and conversations with his 92-year-old mother — which served as touchstones in the cycle of life and as a litmus test for the passing years. Green said it was challenging to share certain details, but a team of editors helped him decide how much information to share.
The effect accentuates “the randomness of fate and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.”
Green started editing “The Oldest Person in the World” early into filming and worked on it continuously over the 10 years to maintain a chronological structure. There are also moments where he breaks the fourth wall to address the documentary’s conventions and engage with the audience directly. The final version blends vulnerability, humor and philosophical reflection with Green’s signature storytelling.
Green acquiesced that most of the interviews were happenstance. The first woman filmed, Miss Susie, was asleep the whole time, while the last, Ethel Caterham — who still holds the title for Oldest Person in the World at 116 as of Tuesday — was among the most cogent.
They also vary in what their “secret” is to living a long life. Sister André, a French nun who lived to be 118, declared there is no secret because God decides. Her rival, Kane Tanaka, said it doesn’t help to dwell on negative things and that regret isn’t helpful. One of the only similarities between the record holders Green interviewed is that they’re all women.
He experienced a particularly powerful moment with the documentary’s second subject, Emma Morano, who was the world’s oldest living person from May 2016 to April 2017. Morano, who was Italian, became confused at one point during filming, and Green was unsure how to comfort her without the translator in the room. He went over to the woman, and they began caressing each other’s hands and staring into each other’s eyes.
In most circumstances, Green said, holding hands with a stranger and making intense eye contact would be uncomfortable — but this was an oddly magical experience.
While society is preoccupied with the oldest people in the world, Green realized the obsession with longevity is tied to human discomfort surrounding mortality. He raises questions throughout the film about whether he’ll live to be old himself. Such thoughts can either keep someone up at night or help them realize each moment is precious.
“I think part of the fascination with the oldest person in the world is it’s like the flip side of the fear of death. I think if we were a little … less freaked out by death, we would probably be less fascinated by it,” Green said.
The director concedes “The Oldest Person in the World” is a never-ending project. Green wrapped filming on July 7, 2025, for the first part of the documentary that premiered at the film festival on Friday. His idea is to continue filming the oldest person in the world, or a similar anthology series, for the rest of his life, eventually passing the legacy on to his son and his son’s future children.
Green’s advice on living fully is first, not to listen to him, and second, to reach a point of appreciation each moment for yourself.
“Every day, you wake up, and you’re healthy and able to do things and living a pretty great life is a miracle,” he said. “It’s good to enjoy it.”
‘The Oldest Person in the World’ in-person screenings
- 11:30 a.m., Jan. 30, Library Center Theatre
- 9:40 a.m., Jan. 31, Megaplex Redstone