Sunset Story

As new friends, Irja and Lucille inspire each other, steal away moments for friendly gossip, offer political analysis, and share the pleasures of being able to do the simple tasks of life. After all, Irja Lloyd, 81, and Lucille Alpert, 95, have met at an unusual time in their lives and in an unusual place: Sunset Hall, a Los Angeles retirement home for political radicals. Sunset Hall is a special place for aging educators, artists, and lefties who have all led active lives and who still help themselves to a heaping serving of the day’s news followed by razor-witted analysis. Sunset Story is at its feisty heart a tender buddy movie. Having outlived their husbands and most of their friends, Irja and Lucille find joy in the emotional sustenance that women are capable of giving to each other as they face the difficulties of aging. Although Irja is not Jewish, she thrills at the thought of sharing with Lucille and the other Jewish residents the various rituals for the Jewish New Year. Sunset Story is a great American documentary with a narrative arc to be envied by the best dramatic writers. Winner of the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival, this film is produced by Caroline Libresco, the former Associate Director of the SFJFF. --Janis Plotkin

Laura Gabbert: Director, Producer While in graduate school at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, Laura Gabbert produced and directed the hour-long documentary, THE HEALERS OF 400 PARNASSUS. HEALERS aired on PBS, was distributed worldwide by Films Transit and won a 1997 National Educational Media Silver Apple Award. Laura also associate produced the ITVS feature TARANTELLA, starring Mira Sorvino. She produced the Joyce Carol Oates adaptation feature film, GETTING TO KNOW YOU (1999 Sundance and Venice Film Festivals), which premiered at the Film Forum in 2000 and had a limited theatrical run. Most recently she directed and produced the critically acclaimed, ITVS documentary SUNSET STORY, which premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival (Special Jury Award) and won the Audience Award at the 2003 IFP/Los Angeles Film Festival. She is currently co-writing and producing a second Joyce Carol Oates adaptation, LOVE MY WAY, and producing the feature film CHINESE BABY, starring Megan Mullally. Laura is also developing SUNSET STORY into a narrative project. She lives in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles with her husband and three year old daughter.