How to Live Forever
Encyclopedia
How to Live Forever, written by director Mark Wexler and Robert DeMaio, is a documentary that follows Mark on a three-year pilgrimage to discover the best practices and philosophies to help mitigate “the uncool trappings of old age.” With the death of his mother (artist Marian Witt-Wexler) and the arrival of an AARP
card, Wexler begins to wonder if one can truly achieve immortality. He interviews an eclectic group of celebrities, health care professionals, centenarians, followers of Laughter Yoga
, and scientists contemplating technology’s impact on the average lifespan in an attempt to conquer death.
Wexler ventures into the home of the late fitness legend Jack LaLanne
and his wife Elaine for a personal training session and a raw food smoothie. Often called the “godfather of fitness,” Jack LaLanne was among the first to publicly preach the health benefits of regular exercise and a good diet. In 1936, when LaLanne was 21-years-old, he opened one of the nation’s first fitness gyms, and in the 1950s he filmed a series of television exercise programs. LaLanne invented several exercise machines, was inducted to the California Hall of Fame
in 2008, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
In the documentary, Suzanne Somers
speaks to the International Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas. She describes the array of hormones that she takes daily, explaining why she is a supporter of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
. Author of numerous diet books and autobiographies, Somers also wrote Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones. Somers is an actress, author, and businesswoman, best known for her role as Chrissy Snow
on Three’s Company.
Aubrey de Grey
is a British author and theoretician in the field of gerontology
. His studies focus on researching and developing tissue-repair strategies intended to prolong lifespans. De Grey is the editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research
, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging, and co-author of Ending Aging
. Wexler, as well as news sources like The New York Times
, the BBC
, and Fortune
, have interviewed de Grey to learn more about his theories on anti-aging.
Also featured in the documentary is celebrated American writer Ray Bradbury
, who is best known for his books Fahrenheit 451
, The Martian Chronicles
, and Something Wicked This Way Comes
. The Pulitzer
board recognized Bradbury "for his distinguished, prolific, and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy." Many of his works have been adapted into television shows or films. When asked if he’s afraid of getting old, Bradbury replies, “No, I’ve never had that fear; I knew that I was collecting truths along the way.”
Comedienne Phyllis Diller
has maintained the stage presence of a boisterous, eccentric housewife with an unusual laugh in stand-up and sit-coms since 1952. She has guest-starred in dozens of television shows and also voiced the Queen in Disney’s A Bug's Life
, Jimmy’s grandmother in Nickelodeon’s Jimmy Neutron, and Peter Griffin’s mother in Family Guy
. In the documentary, Diller believes comedy is important to health, maintaining that “laughter fluffs up every cell in the body.”
Claiming to have been born in 1906, Pierre Jean Buster Martin
was a 104-year-old beer drinking and chain-smoking marathon runner. He did not include fish, dairy, tea, or water in his diet. Buster smoked since he was seven-years-old and followed a diligent regimen of beer, cigarettes, and red meat. In 2008, Buster successfully finished the London Marathon
. When Buster was not training for marathons, he cleaned vans for Pimlico Plumbers
in southeast London. On April 12, 2011 Buster finished work, had a beer, and went home. He passed away that night, at age 104.
Jonathan Gold
, a food critic who writes for LA Weekly
, shares an Oki Dog and his philosophy of food with Wexler. Gold claims that “eating is one of the great pleasures of life,” and believes that those with diet restrictions are missing out on a lot that life has to offer. He is the author of Counter Intelligence and has written for several magazines throughout his lifetime. In 2007, Gold became the first critic to win the Pulitzer Prize
.
Dr. Madan Kataria gives viewers of the documentary a prescription for longevity: “Laugh ten minutes every day for no reason.” Known as the “Guru of Giggling,” Kataria researched the physiological and psychological benefits of laughter and started a Laughter Yoga
club in 1995 with just five people in a public park in Mumbai. The unusual exercise routine combines yoga breathing with laughter exercises, and it has grown to more than 6,000 Laughter Yoga clubs in over 60 countries.
In the documentary, Eleanor Wasson reveals that being a vegetarian and drinking vodka every night are a few secrets to her 100-year lifespan. Throughout her life, Wasson was a volunteer, an activist, and a devotee to social and political causes of various kinds. She was the founder of WomenRise for Global Peace and had been a long-time fighter against the spread of nuclear weapons. For thirty years, Wasson was the Coordinator of Volunteer Services for UCLA. She passed away April 6, 2008.
Pico Iyer
, a British-born novelist, essayist, and travel writer, also makes an appearance in the documentary. He regularly contributes to Time
, National Geographic, and the New York Times on various subjects. Iyer is a close friend of the director and is, Wexler claims, “the sanest person I know.” He turns the camera on Wexler, asking the director to examine his own hopes and intentions for making the documentary. He asserts that like the ending of books and films, “death makes sense of everything that comes before it.”
The documentary, contrary to its title, is not a how-to guide to eternal life. Rather, it is an examination of different philosophies and perspectives on life, offering viewers a glimpse into the science and commercialism in fields like funeral planning, cryonics
, and anti-aging practices. Meanwhile, the film challenges viewers to examine their own notions of whether to combat or accept the inevitability of aging; it is this dilemma that drives Wexler’s search both around the world and within himself, asking the question, “If you could take a pill to live 500 more years, would you?”
How to Live Forever premiered at the 17th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival
in 2009. It was also screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
in January 2011 and the Gasparilla International Film Festival in March 2011.
In addition to How to Live Forever, Mark Wexler directed Tell Them Who You Are (2004), about his father, cinematographer Haskell Wexler
, and Me and My Matchmaker (1996). He also co-produced Air Force One (2002). Me and My Matchmaker won an Audience Award
for Best Documentary at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival
.
Robert DeMaio, director of the 1983 TV series Against the Odds and writer of TV documentary Reversal of Fortune
(2005), co-wrote Tell Them Who You Are and Me and My Matchmaker with Wexler.
Mark Luethi, co-producer of How to Live Forever and associate producer of Tell Them Who You Are, is currently a freelance photographer.
Stephen Dypiangco, Producer of Marketing and Distribution for 2011 Oscar-winner God of Love
, is also Producer of Marketing and Distribution for How to Live Forever.
Wexler’s search takes him to the places where people live the longest: from Okinawa, Japan to Iceland. He journeys to Las Vegas to attend a convention for funeral directors, and the Ms. Senior America Pageant
. He contemplates a future in cold storage at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation
cryonics facility in Arizona. Wexler even receives exercise tips from Jack LaLanne
, hormone replacement advice from Suzanne Somers
, and promises of eternal life from biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey
.
But whose advice should he take? Does Buster Martin
, a chain-smoking, beer-drinking centenarian marathon-runner have all the answers? What about elder-porn star Shigeo Tokuda? The more Wexler travels into the strange worlds of Laughter Yoga
, calorie restriction
, and old-fashioned religion, the less sure he becomes of his goal. Can it be that life’s true meaning is found in the humble chili dog?
Wexler contrasts unusual characters and philosophies with the insights of health, fitness and life-extension experts in his engaging new documentary. The film challenges our notions of youth and aging with comic poignancy. Begun as a study of prolonging life, How To Live Forever evolves into a fun and provocative examination of life’s deepest mystery.
AARP
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
card, Wexler begins to wonder if one can truly achieve immortality. He interviews an eclectic group of celebrities, health care professionals, centenarians, followers of Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is a form of yoga employing self-triggered laughter. The "laughter" is physical in nature, and does not necessarily involve humor or comedy. Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with pranayama...
, and scientists contemplating technology’s impact on the average lifespan in an attempt to conquer death.
Wexler ventures into the home of the late fitness legend Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne
Francois Henri "Jack" LaLanne was an American fitness, exercise, and nutritional expert and motivational speaker who is sometimes called "the godfather of fitness" and the "first fitness superhero." He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15...
and his wife Elaine for a personal training session and a raw food smoothie. Often called the “godfather of fitness,” Jack LaLanne was among the first to publicly preach the health benefits of regular exercise and a good diet. In 1936, when LaLanne was 21-years-old, he opened one of the nation’s first fitness gyms, and in the 1950s he filmed a series of television exercise programs. LaLanne invented several exercise machines, was inducted to the California Hall of Fame
California Hall of Fame
Conceived by First Lady Maria Shriver, the California Hall of Fame was established at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts to honor individuals and families who embody California’s innovative spirit and have made their mark on history...
in 2008, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
In the documentary, Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step....
speaks to the International Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas. She describes the array of hormones that she takes daily, explaining why she is a supporter of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy , also known as bioidentical hormone therapy or natural hormone therapy, is a poorly-defined term referring to the use of hormones that are identical, on a molecular level, with endogenous hormones in hormone replacement therapy...
. Author of numerous diet books and autobiographies, Somers also wrote Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones. Somers is an actress, author, and businesswoman, best known for her role as Chrissy Snow
Chrissy Snow
Christmas "Chrissy" Noelle Snow was a fictional character on the sitcom Three's Company. Chrissy was played by Suzanne Somers.In the original unaired pilot to Three's Company, the character that became Chrissy was portrayed by Susanne Zenor. Zenor was not picked for the second filming, so actress...
on Three’s Company.
Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey is an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation. He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging and co-author...
is a British author and theoretician in the field of gerontology
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...
. His studies focus on researching and developing tissue-repair strategies intended to prolong lifespans. De Grey is the editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research
Rejuvenation Research
Rejuvenation Research is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed bimonthly scientific journal published by Mary Ann Liebert that investigates rejuvenation therapies.The editor-in-chief is Aubrey de Grey...
, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging, and co-author of Ending Aging
Ending Aging
Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs that Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime is a 2007 book written by Aubrey de Grey, a biomedical gerontologist, with his research assistant Michael Rae...
. Wexler, as well as news sources like The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, have interviewed de Grey to learn more about his theories on anti-aging.
Also featured in the documentary is celebrated American writer Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
, who is best known for his books Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury. The novel presents a future American society where reading is outlawed and firemen start fires to burn books...
, The Martian Chronicles
The Martian Chronicles
The Martian Chronicles is a 1950 science fiction short story collection by Ray Bradbury that chronicles the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled and eventually atomically devastated Earth, and the conflict between aboriginal Martians and the new colonists...
, and Something Wicked This Way Comes
Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel)
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1962 novel by Ray Bradbury. It is about two 13-year-old boys, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, who have a harrowing experience with a nightmarish traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town one October. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr...
. The Pulitzer
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
board recognized Bradbury "for his distinguished, prolific, and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy." Many of his works have been adapted into television shows or films. When asked if he’s afraid of getting old, Bradbury replies, “No, I’ve never had that fear; I knew that I was collecting truths along the way.”
Comedienne Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
has maintained the stage presence of a boisterous, eccentric housewife with an unusual laugh in stand-up and sit-coms since 1952. She has guest-starred in dozens of television shows and also voiced the Queen in Disney’s A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life is a 1998 American computer animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 25, 1998. A Bug's Life was the second Disney·Pixar feature film after Toy Story, and the third American computer-animated film after Toy...
, Jimmy’s grandmother in Nickelodeon’s Jimmy Neutron, and Peter Griffin’s mother in Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. In the documentary, Diller believes comedy is important to health, maintaining that “laughter fluffs up every cell in the body.”
Claiming to have been born in 1906, Pierre Jean Buster Martin
Buster Martin
Pierre Jean "Buster" Martin claimed to be the United Kingdom's oldest employee, stating that he was born in 1906....
was a 104-year-old beer drinking and chain-smoking marathon runner. He did not include fish, dairy, tea, or water in his diet. Buster smoked since he was seven-years-old and followed a diligent regimen of beer, cigarettes, and red meat. In 2008, Buster successfully finished the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
. When Buster was not training for marathons, he cleaned vans for Pimlico Plumbers
Pimlico Plumbers
Pimlico Plumbers is a plumbing firm based in London. It is London's largest independent plumbing company. It was established in 1979 by its current Managing Director Charlie Mullins , who left school at 15 with no qualifications and began work as a plumber.It is known for its effective publicity,...
in southeast London. On April 12, 2011 Buster finished work, had a beer, and went home. He passed away that night, at age 104.
Jonathan Gold
Jonathan Gold
Jonathan Gold is a food critic who currently writes for LA Weekly and used to write for Gourmet magazine. In 2007 he became the first such critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. He is also a regular on KCRW's Good Food radio program....
, a food critic who writes for LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
, shares an Oki Dog and his philosophy of food with Wexler. Gold claims that “eating is one of the great pleasures of life,” and believes that those with diet restrictions are missing out on a lot that life has to offer. He is the author of Counter Intelligence and has written for several magazines throughout his lifetime. In 2007, Gold became the first critic to win the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
.
Dr. Madan Kataria gives viewers of the documentary a prescription for longevity: “Laugh ten minutes every day for no reason.” Known as the “Guru of Giggling,” Kataria researched the physiological and psychological benefits of laughter and started a Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is a form of yoga employing self-triggered laughter. The "laughter" is physical in nature, and does not necessarily involve humor or comedy. Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with pranayama...
club in 1995 with just five people in a public park in Mumbai. The unusual exercise routine combines yoga breathing with laughter exercises, and it has grown to more than 6,000 Laughter Yoga clubs in over 60 countries.
In the documentary, Eleanor Wasson reveals that being a vegetarian and drinking vodka every night are a few secrets to her 100-year lifespan. Throughout her life, Wasson was a volunteer, an activist, and a devotee to social and political causes of various kinds. She was the founder of WomenRise for Global Peace and had been a long-time fighter against the spread of nuclear weapons. For thirty years, Wasson was the Coordinator of Volunteer Services for UCLA. She passed away April 6, 2008.
Pico Iyer
Pico Iyer
Pico Iyer is a British-born essayist and novelist. He is the author of numerous books on travel including Video Night in Kathmandu. His shorter pieces regularly appear in Time, Harper's, NYRB and many other publications.-Life and career:...
, a British-born novelist, essayist, and travel writer, also makes an appearance in the documentary. He regularly contributes to Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, National Geographic, and the New York Times on various subjects. Iyer is a close friend of the director and is, Wexler claims, “the sanest person I know.” He turns the camera on Wexler, asking the director to examine his own hopes and intentions for making the documentary. He asserts that like the ending of books and films, “death makes sense of everything that comes before it.”
The documentary, contrary to its title, is not a how-to guide to eternal life. Rather, it is an examination of different philosophies and perspectives on life, offering viewers a glimpse into the science and commercialism in fields like funeral planning, cryonics
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
, and anti-aging practices. Meanwhile, the film challenges viewers to examine their own notions of whether to combat or accept the inevitability of aging; it is this dilemma that drives Wexler’s search both around the world and within himself, asking the question, “If you could take a pill to live 500 more years, would you?”
How to Live Forever premiered at the 17th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival
Hamptons International Film Festival
Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
in 2009. It was also screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
in January 2011 and the Gasparilla International Film Festival in March 2011.
In addition to How to Live Forever, Mark Wexler directed Tell Them Who You Are (2004), about his father, cinematographer Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, film producer, and director. Wexler was judged to be one of film history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.-Early life and education:Wexler was born to a Jewish...
, and Me and My Matchmaker (1996). He also co-produced Air Force One (2002). Me and My Matchmaker won an Audience Award
Audience award
An audience award is typically an award at a film festival which is selected by the audience attending the festival, rather than by the festival jury or a group of critics.- Examples :...
for Best Documentary at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
.
Robert DeMaio, director of the 1983 TV series Against the Odds and writer of TV documentary Reversal of Fortune
Reversal of Fortune
Reversal of Fortune is a 1990 film adapted from the 1985 book Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case, written by law professor Alan Dershowitz...
(2005), co-wrote Tell Them Who You Are and Me and My Matchmaker with Wexler.
Mark Luethi, co-producer of How to Live Forever and associate producer of Tell Them Who You Are, is currently a freelance photographer.
Stephen Dypiangco, Producer of Marketing and Distribution for 2011 Oscar-winner God of Love
God of Love (film)
God of Love is an American live action short film. The film's run time is approximately 18 minutes. It was written and directed by Luke Matheny, and produced by Gigi Dement, Ryan Silbert, and Stefanie Walmsley...
, is also Producer of Marketing and Distribution for How to Live Forever.
Synopsis
Filmmaker Mark Wexler is not going down without a fight. Overwhelmed by the loss of his mother and confronted by his own advancing age, Wexler embarks on a curious, lively, and sometimes troubling worldwide trek to investigate what it really means to live forever.Wexler’s search takes him to the places where people live the longest: from Okinawa, Japan to Iceland. He journeys to Las Vegas to attend a convention for funeral directors, and the Ms. Senior America Pageant
Ms. Senior America Pageant
The Ms. Senior America Pageant is a beauty pageant held in the United States. It is open to women aged 60 and older and is modeled after the Miss America Pageant, with the purpose of presenting "a positive image of aging"....
. He contemplates a future in cold storage at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Alcor Life Extension Foundation
The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, most often referred to as Alcor, is a Scottsdale, Arizona, USA-based nonprofit company that researches, advocates for and performs cryonics, the preservation of humans in liquid nitrogen after legal death, with hopes of restoring them to full health when new...
cryonics facility in Arizona. Wexler even receives exercise tips from Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne
Francois Henri "Jack" LaLanne was an American fitness, exercise, and nutritional expert and motivational speaker who is sometimes called "the godfather of fitness" and the "first fitness superhero." He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15...
, hormone replacement advice from Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step....
, and promises of eternal life from biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey is an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation. He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging and co-author...
.
But whose advice should he take? Does Buster Martin
Buster Martin
Pierre Jean "Buster" Martin claimed to be the United Kingdom's oldest employee, stating that he was born in 1906....
, a chain-smoking, beer-drinking centenarian marathon-runner have all the answers? What about elder-porn star Shigeo Tokuda? The more Wexler travels into the strange worlds of Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is a form of yoga employing self-triggered laughter. The "laughter" is physical in nature, and does not necessarily involve humor or comedy. Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with pranayama...
, calorie restriction
Calorie restriction
Caloric restriction , or calorie restriction, is a dietary regimen that restricts calorie intake, where the baseline for the restriction varies, usually being the previous, unrestricted, intake of the subjects...
, and old-fashioned religion, the less sure he becomes of his goal. Can it be that life’s true meaning is found in the humble chili dog?
Wexler contrasts unusual characters and philosophies with the insights of health, fitness and life-extension experts in his engaging new documentary. The film challenges our notions of youth and aging with comic poignancy. Begun as a study of prolonging life, How To Live Forever evolves into a fun and provocative examination of life’s deepest mystery.
Featuring
All of the following people are featured in How to Live Forever :| Gertrude Baines Gertrude Baines Gertrude Baines was an American supercentenarian, who became the oldest recognized living person according to Guinness World Records on January 2, 2009, until her own death on September 11, 2009, at age 115 years 158 days... |
Samm Mullins |
| Dolores Bates | Scott Mullins |
| Ray Bradbury Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th... |
Zenei Nakamura |
| Aubrey de Grey Aubrey de Grey Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey is an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation. He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging and co-author... |
Sherwin Nuland |
| Brian M. Delaney | Ushi & Kikue Okushima |
| Phyllis Diller Phyllis Diller Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder... |
Don & Edna Parker Edna Parker Edna Ruth Parker was an American supercentenarian and, until her death, was recognized as the oldest person in the world following the death of Yone Minagawa of Japan on August 13, 2007. She assumed the title at age 114 years 115 days... |
| Mordecai Finley | John Robbins |
| Sebastien Gendry | Randall Roberts |
| Jonathan Gold Jonathan Gold Jonathan Gold is a food critic who currently writes for LA Weekly and used to write for Gourmet magazine. In 2007 he became the first such critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. He is also a regular on KCRW's Good Food radio program.... |
Linda Salvin |
| Rathyna Gomer | Lisa Schoonerman |
| Brian Harris Brian Harris Brian Harris may refer to:* Brian Harris , English footballer* Brian Harris , professional wrestler* Brian Harris, ex-drummer for the Greek power metal band Firewind* Brian Harris, guitar player for the band Lord Tracy... |
Diana Schwarzbein |
| Pico Iyer Pico Iyer Pico Iyer is a British-born essayist and novelist. He is the author of numerous books on travel including Video Night in Kathmandu. His shorter pieces regularly appear in Time, Harper's, NYRB and many other publications.-Life and career:... |
Willard Scott Willard Scott Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.-Early years:... |
| Marge Jetton | Takanori Shibata |
| Tanya Jones | Suzanne Somers Suzanne Somers Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step.... |
| Madan Kataria | Shigeo Tokuda Shigeo Tokuda is the stage name of a Japanese male adult video actor. He has been described as Japan's "king of elderly porn".-Life and career:Tokuda was born in August 1934 and worked as a travel agent until his retirement at about age 60. According to Tokuda, "I retired and didn't have anything to do", so he... |
| Ronald Klatz | Ellsworth Wareham |
| Tricia Kurunathan | Eleanor Wasson |
| Ray Kurzweil | Craig Willcox |
| Elaine & Jack LaLanne Jack LaLanne Francois Henri "Jack" LaLanne was an American fitness, exercise, and nutritional expert and motivational speaker who is sometimes called "the godfather of fitness" and the "first fitness superhero." He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15... |
Jessica L. Williams |
| Thomas Lynch Thomas Lynch Thomas Lynch, Tom Lynch or Tommy Lynch may refer to:*Thomas Lynch , South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress*Thomas Lynch, Jr... |
Marianne Williamson Marianne Williamson Marianne Williamson is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation currently before Congress to establish a United States Department of Peace. She is also the founder of Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that... |
| Buster Martin Buster Martin Pierre Jean "Buster" Martin claimed to be the United Kingdom's oldest employee, stating that he was born in 1906.... |
Tyrus Wong Tyrus Wong Tyrus Wong is a Chinese-American painter, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer, designer and kite maker. As film production illustrator in the film industry, Wong has worked for Disney and Warner Bros.. Wong's most famous work was for the Disney animated classic, Bambi.-Early life:Wong was born in... |
| Shinei Miyagi | Heather Yegge |
| Kelly Morton | Akimitsu Yokoyama |
| Al Mott | Robert Young Robert Young Robert, Rob or Bob Young may refer to:In sports:* Robert Young , American track athlete* Robert Young , British cyclist* Robert Young , American football player... |