‘Caregiving’
Bradley Cooper produced this film about the joys and struggles of life as a full-time caregiver.
June 26 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Lindsay, WQED and Comfort Keepers are partnering to show a new PBS documentary about the triumphs and challenges of being a caregiver.
Caregiving spotlights the stories of everyday folks—both paid and unpaid—as they navigate the rewarding and exhausting work inherent in caring for ill or aging loved ones. It was produced by Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper and narrated by Emmy winner Uzo Aduba, who both served as caregivers for a sick parent.
The Lindsay is showing Caregiving on Thursday, June 26, at 7 p.m. The 30-minute screening will be preceded by a reception in the Theater’s Community Room from 6-7 p.m. and followed by a Q&A with local experts in caregiving and at-home care.
This event is free, but RSVPs are required. It is being co-sponsored by Comfort Keepers, an organization providing in-home care to communities across Western Pennsylvania, and WQED, Pittsburgh’s PBS affiliate that also recently collaborated with The Lindsay on the public premiere of the documentary Steel Links.
Caregiving largely focuses on the experiences of six family and professional caregivers. The featured caregivers include Matthew, a young father caring for both his wife and son; Jacob, a 14-year-old who, along with his father, shares the role of caregiver for his mom; Tracy, a young woman looking after her dementia-stricken father; and Zulma, a paid home health aide with a family of her own.
“Making this film has been an inspiring and humbling experience,” says Chris Durrance, the film’s director and senior producer. “We have come to appreciate that every family has a care story and we hope that this film inspires viewers to share their own, building new communities of care that will bring us all closer together.”
Those care stories extend to Hollywood stars Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and Aduba (Orange is the New Black). The film was partially inspired by Cooper’s experiences taking care of his late father, who had lung cancer. “Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something that I stand in awe of,” Cooper says during Caregiving in regards to his fellow caregivers.
Aduba played a similar role for her late mother, who died in 2020 after a 495-day battle with pancreatic cancer. “I belong to the caregiving community,” she told USA Today. She hopes that Caregiving serves as “a reminder that every single one of us is touched by the need for care.”
