Lost Nation Road
Spiritual activist Stephen Jenkinson weaves a grief road and rally cry for the return of elderhood in a troubled time.
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Synopsis
For years, Stephen Jenkinson led the palliative care department at a major Canadian hospital. Sitting at the deathbeds of over 1000 people, he discovered again and again “a wretched anxiety” around death. He recognized this death phobia it is not a personal issue, but a symptom of a larger cultural absence, including the loss of elders. Soon after Stephen and his wife Nathalie opened the Orphan Wisdom School - a learning house for "elders-in-training." This fall, he's heading on the road one more time, alongside veteran Canadian musician Gregory Hoskins for the ‘Nights of Grief and Mystery’ tour. LOST NATION ROAD weaves a compelling case for what happened to elders in this culture, the consequence on youth today, and what can be done for the generations to come.
The team
Our team combines a broad range of artistic experience and talent, from shooting, editing, producing and composing. We can't wait to share with you what we will create together.
Production
Interview Roster
Edmonton based entrepreneur and social justice activist, Tad has spent years doing the hard labour of re-learning his own ancestral tongue of Gaelic and exploring his own roots in Scotland. A longtime Orphan Wisdom scholar, he knows full well the lack of eldership in his own life, after a near-death experience that changed his path forever.
Vancouver based, Erica is trained in community planning and climate change adaptation, with a deep understanding of change processes to the practicalities of policy, planning and community development. Her path shifted deeply when a friend took their own life, and the skills of grief and love became utterly necessary for her and her generation more than ever.
Master storyteller and grief-practitioner, Stephen is the main subject of the film. We'll hear his fierce though compassionate take on what happened to elders in this culture, and what might be done for a better day. Good storytelling is equal parts lament and laughter, and his sharp sense of humour will ring throughout.
Veteran Canadian musician Gregory Hoskins first connected with Stephen while researching the skill of language. They struck up an unlikely friendship, and soon after, found themselves collaborating on the Nights of Grief and Mystery Tour.
Victoria based poet and longtime Orphan Wisdom scholar, Rachelle offers insight into the potency of Stephen's teachings, and her own mark on what happened to elders of her generation.