Join us for this courseofelder heroes as they—men and women, American and international —show us what the new old age is really about.

Older heroes behave very differently than younger ones: their journeys are often inward rather than outward, backward rather than forward, slow and intentional rather than fast and impetuous. But their actions are just as heroic if not more so, for the stakes are higher, time is shorter, and invincibility a thing of the past.

Through film clips and discussion, we’ll build a foundation for later exploration of the ideas and concepts of older heroes and their elderquests. Wild Strawberries (1957) Victor Sjostrom, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow, (Swedish; with new, easy to read subtitles). Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. An aging professor, on the road to accept an award, must come to terms with his past as well as his present.

Judy Everson, retired Professor of English from the University of Illinois at Springfield and IHC Board Alum, will lead each session using this format: introduction of the film or novel, screening the film, refreshment break, guided discussion of our experience of the themes in the film or novel.

This new course is made possible by the participation of the Academy of Lifelong Learning in a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) entitled Examining a New Model for Old Age in Literature and Film. Lincoln Land Community College’s Academy of Lifelong Learning is one of nineteen sites across the country (and the only one in Illinois) participating in this program initiated by the University of Massachusetts – Boston Learning in Retirement group.

Free Course. Registration Required.

Register for course LLL 102-01 through Lincoln Land Community College registration services at (217) 786-2292. Visit prairie.org for a listing of each session for this course.