2018 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Short, Edith+Eddie, started as a documentary of true love, the love story to end all love stories.
Edith and Eddie, ages 95 and 96, are Virginia’s oldest newlywed couple. Since their wedding day, they have found a new reason to live each day to the fullest. Each morning, Eddie helps Edith put in her teeth. They enjoy relaxing by the river and exercising together.
This fairytale love story quickly turns into a dispute over legal guardianship and threatens to tear this couple apart. It starts when Edith is diagnosed with mild dementia. Edith’s daughters disagreed what was best for their mother and when they were unable to reach an agreement, a court appointed a legal guardian for Edith. Edith is now a ward of the state.
Director, Editor and Producer, Laura Checkoway first fell in love with the image of love at first sight at any age but quickly uncovered a story of the rising trend of elder abuse across the country by court-appointed guardians.
What happens when someone’s life is taken out of their own hands? Who has the right to decide someone’s best interest – the new husband, the daughter, or a professional?
JFS and the Weinstein JCC presents a special screening of Edith+Eddie Wednesday, June 6th from 1 – 2 pm at the Weinstein JCC. Following the screening, Lisa Colegove, LCSW, Aging Life Care Professional and expert in guardianship will discuss how to ensure the best interest of the person is guarded.
Screening and discussion of Edith+Eddie is free of charge. Please RSVP to Gia Borgio at gbordio@jfsrichmond.org or 804-282-5644 ext .222.
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