Hundred-Something

A Postmodern Productions Film
Documentary | 47 minutes

They’ve Lived Over a Century — and They’re Living Proof of the Power of the Human Spirit.

In a world where aging is often seen as decline, Hundred-Something invites viewers to reconsider everything they thought they knew about growing old. This thought-provoking 47-minute documentary from Postmodern Productions profiles a remarkable group of centenarians — men and women over the age of 100 — who continue to live rich, active, and deeply purposeful lives.

From a medical office in Victoria, British Columbia, where Dr. Abraham Greenberg still treats patients at age 101, to the stables of a Florida horse farm where Fred Hooper, 100, prepares a colt for its first race at Toronto’s Woodbine Raceway, these portraits reveal an extraordinary blend of endurance, wisdom, and vitality. In Alberta, Elizabeth Klint, 101, looks after her 70-year-old retired son and still finds the energy to teach Sunday school each week — her pupils young enough to be her great-great-great-great-grandchildren.

These are just three members of a rapidly growing demographic: centenarians, or what the film calls “expert survivors.” Once an anomaly, people aged 100 and beyond now represent the fastest-growing age group in North America. From 70,000 centenarians today, their number is expected to swell to four million by 2050, joined by tens of millions more aged 85 and older.

Hundred-Something delves into what it takes not just to survive, but to thrive into a second century of life. Through emotional storytelling and insightful commentary, the documentary explores the psychological, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions of extreme longevity. It also examines the less visible burdens of reaching such an advanced age — the emotional toll of outliving loved ones, the persistence of grief, and the challenge of remaining relevant in a youth-centric culture.

The film features leading researchers and academics who are reshaping our understanding of aging:

• Dr. Leonard Poon and his team at the University of Georgia’s Gerontology Center, whose landmark study of over 300 centenarians is the most in-depth of its kind.
• Dr. Thomas Perls at Harvard University, whose New England Centenarian Study is uncovering surprising trends in longevity — including evidence that once people reach their nineties, men often live longer than women, and Black centenarians outlive their white peers.
• In Canada, Dr. Ellen Ryan at McMaster University explores how language and communication — including “elderspeak” — can directly affect the emotional and physical well-being of older adults.
• At Waterloo University, Dr. Michael Stones is conducting pioneering research into the role of sexuality, intimacy, and physical love in healthy aging and survivorship.

With sensitivity and insight, Hundred-Something challenges common assumptions about aging and celebrates the endurance, resilience, and untapped wisdom of those who’ve lived the longest. The film not only honors its remarkable subjects but also raises pressing questions: How do we as a society support our oldest citizens? What can they teach us about life, purpose, and the future of aging?

“The centenarians of ‘Hundred-Something’ are exemplars of our potential, warnings of our weaknesses, and lighthouses of our hopes.”