What can the oldest people in the world teach the rest of us about living well?
For documentary filmmaker Sam Green, a 10-year search for the world's oldest people became less about discovering a longevity hack and more about purpose, reflection, and the meaning people make from a very long life.
Here's what to know
For 10 years, Green tracked down and interviewed nearly everyone who had been recognized as the oldest person in the world, NBC New York reported. The project became The Oldest Person in the World, a documentary shaped by his fascination with supercentenarians, or people who reach 110.
Living past 110 is so rare that each person who reaches that age often becomes a source of fascination, speculation, and hope.
NBC New York said Green learned "more about himself and the meaning of life — plus a few tips along the way."
While he doesn't share a ton of tips in the interview clip, he does note that most of those who made it that far are women and, more commonly within that, women without children. Sounds like the stress of parenting really does take years off a life, for better or worse.
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"Miss Susie didn't have the two things that kill you," one of the supercentenarians' nieces said of her aunt, according to Green's recounting. "A husband and kids."
Still, despite that, Green asserted that "you're not going to live to be 115" if you live alone. "You're going to need a loving family or community. You need people in your life and joy and pleasure," he said.
Green pointed out that two of the subjects he spent time with were nuns as examples toward that, since they did not have the stress of marriage or raising children but still had community and love and joy in their lives, along with a sense of something to live for.
The Oldest Person in the World opens at the Angelika Film Center on Sept. 10.
Where can I learn more?
Green's search for meaning in extreme longevity also draws attention to the everyday factors that can shape how people age.
• Longevity experts say eating beans every day can add years to life expectancy.
• In greener neighborhoods, clear correlations with lifespan suggest trees may protect health.
• At 80, Nicole chose a charming tiny home over nursing home life for independence.
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