Third Act, by Mieke Struyve and Lotte Stoops

A film about getting old and about giving and receiving care. The story is told from the perspective of ageing actors and local senior citizens who perform with Peeping Tom.

Third Act, by Mieke Struyve and Lotte Stoops. Belgium, 80’. Original soundtrack with Spanish subtitles.

At each stop on the international tour, Peeping Tom works with local senior citizens as extras. These extras are sought out beforehand and receive a crash-course in acting before they step onto the stage, often for the first time in their lives. Their personal lives provide an insight into ageing in their countries and create a dialogue with what Peeping Tom presents on stage.

As the directors Lotte Stoops and Mieke Struyve explain, "As mothers of small children and as daughters of now ageing baby boomers, caregiving is a prominent theme in our own lives that prompts different questions for older generations as well as younger ones: Who cares for whom? Should you live close to your parents to look after them? Will our children look after us? Is that to be expected? Do we want that?

We live in a time when ageing has become an important theme and yet is all too often ignored, where the workload involved in looking after one’s own family is often outsourced to others, and where the state welfare system is becoming less dependable. At the same time, today we set great store by individuality and autonomy. Do we really want to be looked after? What if being on the receiving end of care means giving up our independence?

This film addresses the universal problem of an ageing population. We want to reach a wide international audience, not just the small niche that engages with the dance scene.”

Peeping Tom: Founded 15 years ago, Peeping Tom has become one of the leading names on the international dance and theatre scene. Profound human emotions and the themes that underpin their performances, combined with a unique cinematic approach, explain the company's global success. The two Peeping Tom director-choreographers, Frank Chartier and Gabriela Carrizo, always base their work on the personal experiences of their actors and dancers, whose ages range from 23 to 80 and who come from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. During the creative process, the actors bring their own lives to the stage.

The cinematic approach and the characteristic imagery of Peeping Tom permeate the documentary. The powerful poetry and intimacy, the vulnerability and strength of the actors, and the stage design and lighting that are trademarks of Peeping Tom’s work are also visually translated in the documentary.

Lotte Stoops and Mieke Struyve. The Belgian directors complement one another in their writing, thrust, fantasy and practicality. Lotte adopts an associative and artistic approach to making documentaries (such as the award-winning Grande Hotel); she is a motivator and an action-oriented person. Mieke Struyve is a master of subtlety and brings his practical experience to the team during the shoot (he has made TV documentaries like The Horse Race and Nooit meer dezelfde). Working on themes that touch spectators so deeply —family matters, caregiving and ageing— they combine their different approaches, perceptions and sensibilities to create a harmonious mosaic that represents a common vision. Besides, working as a duo is a feasible way of pursuing their passion for documentary making.