High school student tells stories of seniors in video series “Life Stories from Santa Barbara”

Wood Glen Senior Living in Santa Barbara provides a home for several seniors in the area. It is also the setting for a new documentary series by Santa Barbara High School senior Mary Moses. Life stories of Santa Barbara. The series, produced and edited by Moses himself, delves into the lives of Wood Glen's elderly residents in hopes of making their life stories accessible to a wider audience.

Moses was inspired to start her video series after speaking with her grandmother, Sharon Harrison, who lives in Wood Glen and where Moses visits regularly. In one particular conversation, Moses realized she was part of a small group of people who were privileged to hear her grandmother's stories.

“[My grandmother] “She just told me all these stories and I remember thinking I was one of maybe 10 people who got to hear them,” Moses said. “It struck me that there were so many people her age who just didn't have an audience.”

From there, the inspiration came. Moses wanted to tell not only her grandmother's story, but also the stories of the elderly. She wanted to make sure people had the opportunity to share their stories and provide a platform so that others could listen as well.

“There are so many stories that people collect throughout their lives, whether they are the bigger ones or the more mundane ones. I really wanted to be able to present these stories,” she said.

In the videos, only the interviewees are visible in the frame, so that the viewer can fully immerse themselves in the stories they tell. Moses' voice can be heard from the other side of the camera, leading the conversation and asking follow-up questions. It is intimate and personal, so that it seems as if the viewer is speaking to the resident.

Moses' first interview was with Harrison, a continuation of their normal conversations, only this time with a camera. “It was really nice to get into the flow of things with someone who I felt a little more comfortable with at the beginning. I could understand what direction I was going to go in [the project]”, said Moses.

In Episode 1, the two talk about Harrison's childhood and school days in Vancouver, her career as a journalist and her travel adventures. At the end of the video, Harrison gives some advice for life: “Reach out and touch someone. And keep going, keep learning, until the day you die.”

The other episodes of Life stories of Santa Barbara are full of advice like Harrison's, messages based on years of experience and adventure. Each episode tells a unique story with a different person as the subject.

“You can take something different away from each interview. Everyone obviously has a different focus that they bring with them. [the interview]so each interview stood out for a different reason,” Moses said.

By documenting and sharing these stories, Moses hopes to bring attention to an important but often overlooked part of the Santa Barbara community.

“I think when we see seniors, we often don't recognize them as part of the community. We think they are in the final stages of their life and therefore we don't need to treat them with the same kind of respect,” Moses said.

“But they're really just like us. They're always craving connection and the best way to do that is to ask questions,” she continued. “So I hope people start to recognize that and maybe ask a few more questions too.”

Recording the journey of others has been a journey for Moses himself, from learning how to use video editing software to getting to grips with the intricacies of interviewing. “I learned a lot while doing it. How I want to lead [the interviews]what questions I want to ask, how I set up the camera,” said Moses.

There are currently six episodes of Life stories of Santa BarbaraFour more interviews are waiting to be published. The project was well received by the residents.

“The residents I interviewed were really excited. I think they're excited to see what came out of my 30-minute conversation with them.”

Moses plans to continue her project once the first batch is ready.

“I would like to either treat more residents at Wood Glen or find another facility that wants to work with me there or just go to Santa Barbara and find more people by chance and do it spontaneously,” she said. “I definitely want to continue.”

The biggest gain Moses has made from the project is the contacts she has made through her interviews.

“It feels like these people are becoming characters in my story as well. So they're influencing how I see certain parts of the world,” Moses said. “It feels like I'm sharing wisdom in many ways.”

“I feel like I have a few more grandmothers,” she smiled.

The first six episodes of Life stories of Santa Barbara can be found on YouTube (bit.ly/3SRN1BN). For further information and current information on the project, please visit @Lifestories_of_sb on Instagram.