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Age Before Beauty (1980)

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clip Sexuality education content clip 2

This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

An older woman approaches her older male partner and caresses and kisses him.

Curator’s notes

by Adrienne Parr

This clip is not the first time in the film we see close-ups of wrinkled skin and grey hair. The filmmakers deliberately set out to challenge established conventions of beauty and sexuality, and highlight how they are continually reinforced by film and television.

The couple in the clip are seen initiating lovemaking. Even today, not only are older people rarely depicted on film in a sexual relationship, but also for many just the idea of sex between old people is still controversial. While this is a personal matter, the potential for problems arises when combined with issues relating to privacy and residential care facilities. In a 1980s survey of aged residential care staff, many stated that they would have difficulty accepting residents choosing to sleep together or attempting to maintain a sexual relationship with each other. In 1988 Health Media produced The Heart Has No Wrinkles, a video, directed by Wendy Thompson, dealing specifically with the subject. That video is still used today to introduce the issue to workers in the aged care industries.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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