The historic Palace Theatre in downtown Canton, Ohio, was selected to debut The Silver Mirror, a feature-length global documentary film that investigates the topic of aging and extending healthier lifespans – and their effects on our society, healthcare and environment in the 21st century. The film is narrated and hosted by two-time Emmy Award®-winning and Golden Globe®-nominated actress Blythe Danner, with an original film score performed by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. The film’s writer-producer-director, Ali Habashi, presented the film at its premiere, Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation as part of a collaborative grant with Kent State University at Stark and the Edward H. Arnold Center for Confluent Media Studies at the University of Miami, The Silver Mirror takes the audience on an enlightening journey through 12 countries around the world, searching for a universal voice that fearlessly and intimately conveys humanity’s ancient, collective and fundamental struggle with the fragility of the human condition imposed by the inevitability of aging – while also pondering that for the first time in human history, impending scientific surges in our health-span will drastically change how we live our lives.

“Science is on the precipice of understanding and being able to manipulate the process of aging. In the very near future, the average lifespan is expected to be increased to well over 100 years,” remarked Herbert W. Hoover Foundation Chair, Elizabeth Lacey Hoover. “Now is the time to consider the consequences, not just relating to personal experience, but also to the impact on the planet, including the environment, food, water and social issues.”

Based on the cutting-edge work of many leading scientists worldwide, The Silver Mirror features interviews with several distinguished experts, including Dr. Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging, on the challenges of providing care for Ohio’s elderly population, given that the number of Ohioans over the age of 60 is expected to increase by 25 percent by 2020.

For more information about the film, contact:

Christina Delphus, Associate Director
Edward H. Arnold Center for Confluent Media Studies
University of Miami
Phone:305-607-0020
Email: cdelphus@miami.edu

Ali Habashi, Director
Edward H. Arnold Center for Confluent Media Studies
University of Miami
Phone: (305)284-4121
Email: ahabashi@miami.edu

See more information about “The Silver Mirror”