The trailer for the documentary The Way We Get By which will debut at SXSW 2009 and on DVD later this year. On call 24/7 for the past six years, three senior citizens have made history by greeting nearly one million U.S. troops at a tiny airport in Maine. Filled with unexpected turns, their uplifting and emotional journey demonstrates the meaning of community at a time when America needs it most.
Inside a small airport in central Maine, a group of senior citizens are making history by using handshakes and hugs to play a critical role in the Iraq war. The Way We Get By is an inspirational story about how these handshakes can change a person's life. Since March 2003, nearly one million soldiers and marines from across the country have been greeted at the Bangor International Airport. With each flight, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, these volunteers have been there to send them off and welcome them home.
The Way We Get By follows three senior citizens, Bill Knight, Joan Gaudet, and Jerry Mundy as they battle with the critical issues common to the nation's ever-growing aging population. Through their candid and moving stories, viewers are provided with a truthful look at what millions of Americans are facing across the country.
One theme explored throughout the film is the emotional losses that come with growing old. Whether it's the loss of a spouse or a child, the loss of identity after retirement, or the loss of youth, each comes with life-altering consequences. We take a raw and intimate look at our three character's lives outside the airport, revealing their own personal losses that led them to troop greeting. On the surface, it looks like the endless trips to the airport provide an escape for them. But as the story progresses, we learn the airport is where they find the inspiration to confront their issues at home and the strength to overcome them.