The project began after my grandmother passed away. I found a recorded interview I had done with her years earlier, and watching it changed how I thought about memory. It wasn’t a voicemail or a fragment. It was my grandmother in her own voice, telling her life story. That moment made me realize how many stories are lost simply because no one thought to ask while there was still time.
That realization led me to create Legacy Calls, a project dedicated to celebrating and safeguarding the stories of seniors. Through a collaboration with teaching artist Zoë Watkins, Town Hall, and Project FIND, I brought Legacy Calls to the Woodstock Senior Center in Times Square. What started as a traditional interview format evolved into an immersive experience where seniors were not just being interviewed, but actively shaping how their stories were told.
Legacy Calls is a project dedicated to celebrating the stories of Senior Citizens
Through conversation, theater, photography, movement, and reenactment, personal memories came to life. Seniors shared stories about family, loss, resilience, neighborhood history, and joy. Some moments were heavy and deeply emotional. Others were playful and full of energy, like revisiting the thrill of riding a roller coaster at Coney Island. Each story opened space for reflection, connection, and creative expression.
This film is about slowing down and listening. It’s about honoring the bravery it takes to tell personal stories, and recognizing the dignity in lived experience. Legacy Calls is not just about memory. It’s about agency, connection, and listening to people while they are still here to be heard.
Thank you for watching.
