From 10th to 13th October 2017, the Winter School “Images of Age and Ageing“ of the DAAD funded exchange program (Heidelberg University and Jawahahrlal Nehru University) on ‘Active Ageing‘ took place in Heidelberg.

On the first day German-Indian project members attended the official Opening of the  8th European Film Festival for Generations in Mannheim. Opening film was the German production “Leanders last journey“ (2017) by regisseur Nick Baker Monteys – a road movie showing a 92 years old man travelling with his granddaughter from Berlin to Ukraine.  Prof. Dr. Ursula Lehr (patron of the film festival and Federal Minister a.D.) welcomed the audience whereas Dr. Michael Doh (Department of Psychological Ageing Research, Institute of Psychology) and Ralph Schlusche (Director of the organization “Metropolregion Rhein Neckar“) hold the opening speech. There was a lively discussion after the film with the regisseur,  Prof. Dr. Insa Fooken (Department of Interdisciplinary Studies on Aging, Goethe University, Frankfurt) and the audience. To gain insight into the film festival was for project members in particular useful as an „International Filmfestival for Generations“ is planed for Delhi in 2018.

The program of the Winter School continued with a three-day lecture series on images of age and ageing and other age-related themes at the Institute of Gerontology. Dr. Michael Doh explored in his presentation the concept and organisation of the Film Festival for Generations sharing also insights into his experiences and knowledge about the festival as its founder. By screening fiction and documentary films on age-relevant topics the festival aims to contribute to the intergenerational dialogue and to sensitize civil society on topics such as demographic change and ageing. Dr. Holger Pressel (AOK Baden Württemberg) spoke about the German Health care system explaining its history and creation and focussing in particular on the German health insurance system.  Prof. Dr. Andreas Kruse (Director of the Institute of Gerontology) introduced in his lectures the psychological and sociological analysis of age and ageing and the research on images of age and ageing. He hereby indicated that a reflection and differentiation among the dominant perspectives on old age and ageing on an individual as well as on a societal level is required to realize the potentials of active ageing.  

Further speakers were Dr. Christoph Rott (Institute of Gerontology) talking on “Why cenetarians might become a model of the oldest old in the future – even in India“ and “Aims and Strategies of promoting physical activity in old age on a local governmental level“ and Fiona Rupprecht (Department of Psychological Ageing research, Institute of Psychology) on “Subjective Ageing“. The Winter School closed with a visit of the Film Festival for Generations in Leimen where the Swiss film  “Neuland“ was screened and discussed in presence of the central character Christian Zingg, this was followed by a  farewell dinner.

Here you can download the program of the Winter School (Pdf).