Cara Fay interviews Eugene Skinner on Sept. 4. Fay, a former employee of The Homestead in Boulder City, is filming and producing “Homestead Bound,” a documentary about the people who live in the assisted-living facility.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008 | 5:06 p.m.
Cara Fay hunched toward Eugene Skinner, enraptured hearing him speak, sometimes with a wide smile, sometimes wiping away tears, always nodding.
In seats facing each other in the atrium at The Homestead in Boulder City, Skinner told Fay and her camera his life's stories — growing up on a ranch, his time in the Coast Guard in Hawaii, about his children.
Fay is filming and producing "Homestead Bound," a documentary about the people who live in the assisted-living facility.
The volunteer is wrapping up six months of interviews with about 30 residents, and editing footage of them dancing, golfing and shopping for clothes for the big premiere of the movie in mid-October.
Activities coordinator Debbie Patterson said she expects at least 100 family members to attend the red carpet event and plans to give families DVDs of the hourlong movie.
What started as an idea for a new marketing video turned into Fay's lifelong goal — a short film about senior citizens.
Fay, who worked in post-production at Los Angeles film studios for 17 years, said she came to Boulder City two years ago to "leave all the crazy behind" and get her start as an independent filmmaker.
This will be her first movie.
Fay said she misses her father, who died 15 years ago, as well as her grandparents, and she wishes she had videos of them. She said she takes joy in creating this record of the people she's grown to love at Homestead to their families.
Patterson said she hopes the movie will preserve previously unknown memories for decades.
"The residents have all done something fantastic," she said. "Sometimes even their own kids don't know. We hope this is something that will be shown to their grandchildren and their great grandchildren."
Fay said six people she's interviewed have died since she started filming, which sent her on an "emotional roller coaster," but also is what keeps her going — so those who are gone can still be seen as they were.
"I have never felt so fulfilled in all my life, and I know I have found my calling," she said. "I want to make these kinds of films forever."
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy