The Way We Get By

Documentary Feature, Documentary Competition
D: Aron Gaudet

Senior citizens Bill, Joan, and Jerry know that “what now?” feeling, the loss of identity and purpose that comes after a long, full life – after “mission accomplished.” Their waning lives change forever after they join the Maine Troop Greeters, a group committed to welcoming every soldier returning home from war in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the dedicated greeters wake at all hours to meet the incoming planes, their own personal struggles with mortality, survival, and kin are faced with new energy. And as the soldiers disembark, unsure what to expect upon their return from an unpopular war, they find dignity and respect in the open arms of new friends. In adopting the same neutrality as the troop greeters, the film transcends politics to capture the bond between two similarly undervalued groups as they connect for a few fleeting moments over handshakes at the Bangor International Airport. (The Way We Get By won the Jury’s Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature.)

Thursday, March 19, 7pm, Austin Convention Center

This article appears in March 20 • 2009.

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