The Work Is Done, Well Sort Of

I recently completed my second documentary film, Climbing into Life, and I am waiting to hear which film festivals will accept and screen it. People have asked me what I am going to do with all my free time. Would it be inappropriate to place a laughing emoji here?

The tweaking is done, the trailer and film have been updated and they are “in the can.” Thank you to my amazing editing team at Paper Cut Post in Philly. Lana and Ziggy took great care of this story and of me as well. It has been a wonderful intergenerational collaboration and experience.

This is when the real fun begins.

Writing this missive is helping me organize all the necessary next steps I need to take in order to be ready for what I hope to be an exciting launch pad for Dierdre’s story. Speaking of Dierdre, in case you don’t know who she is and why I thought it important to tell her story, I will do that now.

Dierdre Wolownick is 72 years old and at age 66 became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. She is the mother to two remarkable adult children and one of them may be familiar to you. Her son, is Alex Honnold, the world renowned climber who is the star of the Oscar winning film, Free Solo. If you haven’t watched it you should. It will take your breath away. I had watched the film before I bumped into his mother on social media and I always wondered where on earth this incredible human being had come from. I remember saying to myself, I wonder who his parents are and how they feel about what Alex is doing. I was about to find out.

Dierdre and I met on Facebook. There was a post she was mentioned in, which I responded to, and later she apparently saw my remark and responded to me. She asked if I was a filmmaker and told me she had a story I might be interested in hearing. So I did. Through a series of Zoom calls, during Covid, we talked for hours over multiple months. I heard her entire life story and it was clear that she is a remarkable woman with a story that would inspire many people. We agreed to move forward and within months I was in California filming.

It is important to note that Dierdre was never an athlete and did not gain the title of oldest woman to ascend El Capitan until she was 66. As a matter of fact her entire life had been filled almost exclusively with intellectual pursuits. She speaks, reads and writes in several different languages, she is a painter, she was a professor for decades, she plays a few different instruments, at a professional level, and she is a published author of several books. To make the leap to becoming a titled climber is more than interesting and gives anyone who thinks about aging as negative some perspective on the subject.

My goal as a filmmaker is to bring older women’s stories to the forefront and hopefully inspire and create a dialog around the stereotypical views on aging. We all have potential and possibility within us that is untapped and we shouldn’t ignore whatever it may be just because we are older. Heck, I didn’t start filmmaking until age 65. There is nothing more exhilarating than learning something new and making it a new passion, especially when we are older. Dierdre is a great example of this.

So now I continue readying for what it takes to get a film out into the world for people to witness. Film Festivals will be the first place that people will find the film, so stay tuned and follow us on Facebook and Instagram (Climbing into Life) for updates and future screening locations. You can leave a comment with your email if you would like to get on our mailing list.

A new website is in development that will house all the information for both of my films. If you haven’t seen Beyond Sixty yet you will find that on most streaming platforms. Nine remarkable women tell their stories of resilience and continued relevance as they age.

I am working with a wonderful entertainment attorney who will be doing the clearance reviews and reporting for the insurance I will need for distribution. I am gathering all of the signed releases and other paperwork needed to confirm I have the appropriate permissions.

The film has to be filed with the US Copyright office and posters, DVD’s and assorted marketing items designed and purchased.

I will start reaching out to people that may be of assistance with distribution and cross my fingers that all of the above will get done in a relatively timely fashion.

I feel so fortunate to be where I am today, continuing to challenge myself and learn new tricks in my 70’s. I feel especially fortunate to have so many people in my life that support and encourage me to keep going. So grateful.

Hope to see you at the movies!

Peace and Love,

Melissa