Winter at Westbeth (ATOM Study Guide)

In New York's West Village, the elderly residents of a unique artist community continue to question, challenge and create as though there is no tomorrow.

Filmed across one extraordinary year in New York City's Westbeth Artist Housing, this 80-minute documentary challenges and debunks many ideas about creativity and ageing. Video artist Edith Stephen (95) hopes to complete an experimental film for her birthday; revered contemporary dancer Dudley Williams rehearses for an electrifying return to the stage; and published poet Ilsa Gilbert (82) faces her impending mortality with revealingly candid poetry.

Winter at Westbeth is an inspirational film about a group of artists and their continuing work. While being a senior and prominent artist is not a prerequisite for becoming a resident at Westbeth Artist's Housing, the three artists featured in this documentary have lived there for many years, some since 1970 when the complex first opened, in an environment that allows them to keep on working in the building they share with other like-minded people. As well as residential apartments for artists, Westbeth has studio facilities where a number of artists across visual, literary and performance arts can work.

Edith Stephen first rented a studio in Westbeth in 1970 for her Electric Currents Dance Company. She says it had a true community feeling back then. 'All the doors were open,' she says. 'They would come in with their work and say here is a sculpture you can have, you know, keep this in your house, there's a sharing experience and – excuse me while I cry, only a few people are left right now.'

The open-door culture may have changed over the years, but since Westbeth has remained more affordable than most other buildings in the city, a large number of residents have stayed. In fact, the building has been declared a 'NORC', or 'naturally occurring retirement community', with many senior residents.

Curriculum guidelines

Winter at Westbeth would be suitable for secondary students studying English, Ethics, Health and Personal Development, Philosophy, Psychology and any area of creative arts, including Studio Arts, Dance and Choreography, and Media and Film Studies.