Follow four millennials and their parents as they travel through time wearing an MIT-produced “aging empathy suit” and working with professional make-up artists to navigate the realizations, conversations and mindset required to age successfully.
Original production funding for Fast-Forward was provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Fast-Forward is a production of FLX Entertainment in association with TPT|Twin Cities PBS, in partnership with Next Avenue.
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Fast Forward is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
More About FAST-FORWARD
FAST-FORWARD, a documentary film narrated by Rosario Dawson, inspires viewers to see their future in a whole new light having critical conversations with their families about how they can maximize their choices and well-being throughout life. Featuring an original song by Andrew Bird.
It’s one thing to put on an aging suit for an hour and experience some aches and pains. It’s another to spend an entire week in an “aging bootcamp” undergoing tests and doctor visits, being immersed in communities of 80-somethings, and evaluating your family’s future health trajectory, caregiving and living arrangements.
As a result, FAST-FORWARD, a documentary film narrated by Rosario Dawson, inspires viewers to see their future in a whole new light having critical conversations with their families about how they can maximize their choices and well-being throughout life.
Drey, a Millennial, wears AGNES, the “aging empathy suit," in an exercise class with a group of 80-somethings, and immediately has a new understanding of the physical limits his 65-year father already shows and feels.
Susan, 51, tests AGNES in an Airstream trailer that her 32 year old daughter set up as a living space for Susan's retirement years. They both instantly realize the plan is not only uncomfortable, it’s dangerous. In such intimate portrayals, we see parents and their grown children alike internalize the benefits of viewing and discussing advanced age realistically, and understanding the simple steps they can take. This includes ways to preserve their health, have a life-long purpose, and arrange their caregiving and end-of-life wishes before a crisis or chronic diagnosis may occur.
Interviews with medical and aging experts explain how "having the conversation" with loved ones must become the new norm because an unprecedented number of Americans are living longer than ever. These conversations about wants and needs as we age and how older age can be a happy, purposeful time make for happier families and successful aging.
Across age, gender, race, ethnicity, income levels, and geography, FAST-FORWARD shows us the path to a healthier, successful version of longevity awaiting us to claim.
Fast-Forward features an original song by Andrew Bird.
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Carmen, Leo’s grandmother, visits with a volunteer from the music and memory program.
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Carol and L’Oréal visit the kitchen at FRIEDA, a local Philadelphia cafe that aims to bring generations together.
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Cast members Sophie and Susan meet for the first time as their future selves in makeup.
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Drey wears MIT’s aging suit - AGNES - while attending a Fit and Fall class for older adults in Caldwell, Idaho.
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Leo experiences MIT’s aging suit - AGNES - while on a fishing outing with his father, Abe.
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Roger and his son, Drey, visit with a healthcare team in Boise, Idaho, to gain an understanding of what medical care might look like for Roger in the future.
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Sophie helps her mother, Susan, dressed in MIT’s aging suit - AGNES, down the stairs of an airstream trailer Sophie is designing as a future home for her mom.
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The four families who took an immersive journey 30 years into the future. Roger and Drey (Top Left) Carol and L_Oréal (Top Right) Abe and Leo (Lower Left) Sophie and Susan (Lower Right)
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The MIT AgeLab_s AGNES aging suit, designed to help younger users walk in the shoes of an older adult.
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With the help of prosthetics and make-up, Carol is transformed into her 80 year-old self.
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Original production funding for Fast-Forward was provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Fast-Forward is a production of FLX Entertainment in association with TPT|Twin Cities PBS, in partnership with Next Avenue.