Some Kind of Heaven

In Florida, The Villages, nicknamed Disneyland for the retired, is home to more than 130,000 elderly people. Safe streets, perfectly kept lawns and countless sporting activities maintain the myth of the American dream. In this paradise regained, the residents are happily having a blast. In the face of the unanimous façade strengthened by the site’s surrealist decor, Lance Oppenheim preferred to look at the fringes, where life is less rosy. Like Anne and Reggie, a couple having difficulty with the latter’s disconnection from the outside world or Barbara, a widow in search of a second love, and Dennis, a single man living in a van and seeking a way out of his situation. Having little concern for the fun nature of the establishment, our four protagonists live outside of the community. In turns amusing and poignant, their testimonies do not speak so much about their age, but more of a quest for long-term happiness. In the heart of this white America that likes to wallow in its conformism, Some Kind of Heaven unveils some of its infinitely more sincere acerbities.

Tom Bidou