What We Were
Wackler Wellness was founded to keep seniors strong, independent, empowered and performing the activities of daily living with ease.
For 15 years, from June of 2006 until March of 2020, Wackler
Wellness provided free exercise classes, led by skilled and certified exercise instructors, to low income seniors in South Los Angeles.
After the Covid Pandemic halted our in-person exercise classes, we began to rethink how we could continue to fulfill our mission.
What We Are Now
Our short comedic film, “Catching the Bus”, was completed in January of 2024 with the intention that it could be a catalyst to spark debate about what it’s like to age here in America.
We are now focusing on film to shift the way our culture views aging from negative to positive. We’re bringing to light many of the oppressive issues facing us as we age.
12 Film Festivals, across 8 states screened “Catching the Bus” and it received 9 awards. All of the screenings included question and answer sessions and panel discussions. We found our audience they were bursting at the seams to talk about aging in our culture.
Now we’re taking the film into our local community for screenings and discussions. We’re asking questions too.
- Does agism exist in America? Are we different than other countries?
- Are there places in the USA that are doing it right?
- If agism does persist, why?
- Why don’t we have a culture that supports being a wise elder?
- Are we shamed for showing symptoms of aging, like age spots, wrinkles, and tired joints?
- Why are the aged primarily used as the butt of jokes in the film and television industry?
- How can we shift the paradigm from negative to positive regarding how we perceive aging?
- Is there a path for finding joy in our third act?
Where We’re Going
We will continue to take our film into our community. Through fiscal sponsorship, we will develop new projects and films that support our mission.