The Oldest Person in the World (Sam Green, 2026)
Ohio Premiere
As charming and life-affirming as movies get, Wex favorite Sam Green’s latest uses his interviews with the oldest humans alive to playfully ask life’s eternal questions.
Film/Video Theater
Advance ticket sale begins for members August 22—join today!
Tickets available to the general public September 4
$8 members
$12 general public
$9 adults 55 and over
$6 students
Filmmaker Sam Green has been fascinated with the Guiness Book of World Records since his childhood. Filmed over 10 years, this delightful feature spans countries and cultures as Green meets the current record holders for the oldest person alive—a title that, needless to say, never lasts very long. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of life, and the joy and profound human experience of being alive. Green is a frequent Wex guest, from his recent live documentary performances of 32 Sounds (2022) and A Thousand Thoughts (2018) with the Kronos Quartet to his numerous visits to work on projects in the Film/Video Studio. It’s a treat to present his crowd-pleasing new film! (87 mins., DCP)
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"Surprisingly, almost confrontationally life-affirming." Vulture
In the press
- Review: “‘The Oldest Person in the World’ Review: Sam Green Shares a Life-Changing Decade of Thinking About Mortality in Myriad Ways,” Peter Debruge, Variety
- Feature: “Would You like to Live to 116? Producer of ‘The Oldest In the World’ Says No Thanks – True/False Film Fest,” Matthew Carey, Deadline
About the filmmaker
Sam Green
Sam Green received his master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent projects are “live documentaries” including 32 Sounds (2022), A Thousand Thoughts (2018) in collaboration with the Kronos Quartet, The Measure of All Things (2014), and The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller (2012), all of which were performed at the Wex. These works are performed live, with Green narrating and musicians performing the soundtrack. Green’s 2004 feature-length film, the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Weather Underground, was created with support from the Wex’s Film/Video Studio. Green was included in the 2019 Whitney Biennial, and in 2014 he was accepted as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.