For several years, we have been collaborating with the wonderful filmmakers Deirdre Fishel and Tony Heriza to produce a documentary that depicts the relationships between caregivers and seniors with dignity and compassion, but also highlights the many shortcomings in our care system. And this weekend, right in time for Labor Day, we are so proud that this beautiful and important film will finally reach a wider audience.
Featuring personal care stories (some from our own members!), CARE presents the dynamics of care and caregiving relationships — something we don’t often see on TV or in the movies. In light of Labor Day on September 4th and Grandparents Day on September 10th, this documentary is especially relevant because it makes the invisible work of eldercare visible, exposing how difficult and skilled this critical work is even as care workers are paid poverty wages – while showcasing how much the well-being of our aging loved ones is directly linked to the well-being of our caregivers.
In most areas, CARE will air on the PBS World Channel on Tuesday, September 5 at 8 PM Eastern, 9 PM Pacific. Check your local listings to see when it will be on in your area.
If you’re a caregiver yourself with a busy schedule, don’t worry if you can’t tune in on September 5th. The film will be streaming for free starting September 6th on America ReFramed. We encourage you to check it out and share it with other caregivers in your life, whether they are family or paid caregivers, because you’ll be giving them the gift of seeing their stories depicted and honored on film.
Caregiving can feel devastatingly isolating, but films like these show that care is something that touches millions of us – and is a responsibility to be shared among all of us. They show that, as a society, we must improve the ways we support caregivers and all of us who need care to live well and age with dignity.
The film first premiered last summer at the American Film Institute DOCS Festival in Washington, DC. Since then, Caring Across field partners in states across the nation, from Florida to Ohio and Oregon, have hosted screenings at theatres, community centers, and universities energizing activists and family caregivers to advocate for change. While these smaller events have no doubt made a difference, the airing of CARE on PBS is a huge step towards bringing greater awareness of the realities of caregiving on a national scale.
For next week’s broadcast, we’re thrilled to partner with Groundswell, a digital organizing platform for faith-based communities, to make it easy for people to connect with or organize their own watch partiest. Find a public watch party in your area, or if there aren’t any in your area, sign up to host a party of your own. We’ll provide all the information you need to make it happen.
UPDATE: From now through October 6, 2017, you can stream CARE for free on the PBS website.
UPDATE: As of March 5, 2024, you can stream CARE on Kanopy using your public library card or university login.
