Intertel; 27; To Live Till You Die
- Series
- Intertel
- Episode Number
- 27
- Episode
- To Live Till You Die
- Producing Organization
- National Educational Television and Radio Center
- Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
- Contributing Organization
- Thirteen WNET (New York, New York)
- Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/75-70msbknm
- NOLA Code
- ITTL
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- Description
- Episode Description
- In the episode's opening, narrator J. C. Sheers observes that one out of a hundred persons in western nations is old and needs help. Unless the old have great savings or can depend on relatives, they face spending the rest of their years in a modern version of an elderly home. Sweden's program, where the biggest tax share goes to support the aged, may become the example western nations will follow. The aged are a social problem in Sweden, Sheers observes. But in Lucania, Italy, old age is an honorable estate. TO LIVE TILL YOU DIE looks at two extreme points of view concerning the aged. The episode poignantly evokes these sharply defined attitudes as Intertel cameras capture the subtle and dramatic counterpoint in the lives of Olivia Goransson of Sweden and Minguiccio Filazzola of Lucania, Italy. The transition Olivia Goransson makes from her life of solitude to a nearby government home typifies the trials of adjustment for many of the aged. For 55 years she lived in one room containing bare necessities--among them a lamp, one electric outlet, a single cold water tap, and a woodstove. For her, old age has meant survival. Retired at 67, the 83-year-old woman now draws a government and job pension. The only break in her uneventful existence is a weekly chat over a cup of coffee with Mrs. Karlsson, a volunteer home care worker. After three years of waiting -- for Sweden lacks enough homes for the aged -- her application to live in a government home becomes a reality. Taking her treasured belongings, Olivia Goransson begins readjustment in her new home at nearby Bromma. Typical of most Swedish government institutions, the home is administered by registered nurses, provides services ranging from foot care and handicrafts to weaving and carpentry, blends modern and traditional furniture and features beds specifically designed for the elderly. Her ordeal of "fitting in" is heightened as she relearns the social graces at mealtime with fellow residents. In Minguiccio Filazzola's family of three generations, he is at the crown of life. He is the head of a communal group where the women bake and sew, the men farm the land, and all work for all. He asserts his seniority in every phase of life, from arranging a marriage to buying a mule. Minguiccio's independence and supremacy are humorously conveyed in a sequence where he dictates the strategy in bargaining for a mule -- a big investment for anyone in Lucania. For his family, mealtime is a warm social occasion, where problems are attacked with gusto. Minguiccio also must face an adjustment. After weeks of discussion, he finally gives his blessings to his son Domenico, who wants to emigrate to Canada. His son's desire, in a sense, begins the end of an old world remnant which demands respect for the aged. TO LIVE TILL YOU DIE is a production of National Educational Television and Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. Producer for NET: Boris Holtzman. The episode was recorded in black and white on film. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Series Description
- Intertel, a dramatic breakthrough in the dissemination of ideas and cultural exchange through television, was conceived in November 1960. Five television broadcasters in the four major English-speaking nations joined to form the International Television Federation, to be known as Intertel, the first such international organization. The participants were Associated Rediffusion, Ltd. of Great Britain, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and for the United States, the National Educational Television and Radio Center and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. Intertel produced on a bi-monthly basis hour-long documentaries on important world topics, inaugurating a global television production agency dedicated to the creation of programs of substance and meaning. John F. White, President of NET, called Intertel "more than a fusion of the creative talents of the organizations involved in producing television programs of outstanding merit. It is a step forward to world understanding," he added. "I believe that the exchange of documentaries, while of great significance in the vastness of the mutual understanding in it can foster, is but the first step in a regular exchange of all forms of programming." Donald H. McGannon, President of WBC, hailed the new organization as "a pool of the technical and creative ability and knowledge of all the groups which will extend the international horizons of television in all aspects. This is the first practical step, after years of talking and hoping, toward the creation and use of international television for cultural exchange and an effective weapon for peace." By having observers examine topics far removed from their everyday assignments, Intertel gives viewers a fresh viewpoint. The founder members indicated that by dubbing these programs in foreign languages and making them available to all nations, they hoped television companies in Europe, Asia and South America will eventually join this unique project. The supervisory committee for the United States programming segments consists of Mr. McGannon and Mr. White; Richard M. Pack, WBC Vice President - Programming; and Robert Hudson, NET Vice President for Programming. Intertel came into formal being November 14, 1960, in a special meeting in Vancouver, B.C., and the culmination of plans for such an association which has been under way for a long time. John McMilliam of Associate Rediffusion, was named contemporary Coordinating Officer at that time. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Description
- Intertel is a dramatic breakthrough in the dissemination of ideas and cultural exchange through television. Intertel was conceived in November, 1960. Five television broadcasters in the four major English-speaking nations joined to form the International Television Federation, to be known as Intertel, the first such international organization. The participants were Associated Rediffusion, Ltd. of Great Britain, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and for the United States, the National Educational Television and Radio Center and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. Intertel produces on a bi-monthly basis hour-long documentaries on important world topics, inaugurating a global television production agency dedicated to the creation of programs of substance and meaning. John F. White, President of NET, called Intertel more than a fusion of the creative talents of the organizations involved in producing television programs of outstanding merit. It is a step forward to world understanding, he added. I believe that the exchange of documentaries, while of great significance in the vastness of the mutual understanding in it can foster, is but the first step in a regular exchange of all forms of programming.
- Broadcast Date
- 1965-05-19
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Documentary
- Topics
- Social Issues
- Public Affairs
- Health
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Credits
-
-
Director: Morgan, Robert
Narrator: Sheers, J. C.
Producer: Holtzman, Boris
Producer: Sheers, Jay C.
Producing Organization: National Educational Television and Radio Center
Producing Organization: Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
Writer: Sheers, Jay C.
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Thirteen - New York Public Media (WNET)
Identifier: wnet_aacip_2297 (WNET Archive)
Format: 16mm film
Duration: 00:53:47?
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2410693-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
-
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive
Identifier: [request film based on title] (Indiana University)
Format: 16mm film
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Intertel; 27; To Live Till You Die,” 1965-05-19, Thirteen WNET, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed April 19, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-70msbknm.
- MLA: “Intertel; 27; To Live Till You Die.” 1965-05-19. Thirteen WNET, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. April 19, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-70msbknm>.
- APA: Intertel; 27; To Live Till You Die. Boston, MA: Thirteen WNET, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-70msbknm