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Sunset Pink Villa: A Home for Gay and Lesbian Elders

Affiliate Associate Professor University of Washington School of Social Work 4101 15^th NE Seattle, WA 98105-6299 jfranks{at}u.washington.edu

Sunset Pink Villa: A Home for Gay and Lesbian Elders. Video/1999/50 min. A film by Tjarda Hockstra. Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40^th Street, New York, NY 10016. 212-808-4980. Online: www.filmakers.com. E-mail: info{at}filmakers.com. Purchase $295, rental $75.

The surface story of this video documents the creation of a seven-apartment urban retirement community purposefully built for older gay and lesbian individuals and couples in Holland. Northern Europe has long been in the forefront of supportive housing for disabled and older people; it was mostly in Holland, Sweden, and Norway that design pioneers such as Victor Regnier found inspiration for assisted living in the United States. Many American communities now emulate the philosophy, architecture, and services that enable many to grow old in the community rather than in isolation or a medical environment.

But the real story told in this video is the interviews with these older people recounting the pain and injustice of growing up gay in a time and place when such sexual identities were reviled, outlawed, and punished. Five individuals, four men and a woman, all of whom were young in the 1950s and 1960s, describe with sad honesty how society, their families, and even at times they themselves viewed homosexuality in the past.

One candid interviewee quotes his intolerant sister-in-law, whose opinion of gays and lesbians was, "They should be behind barbed wire!" He points out, "She got that from Hitler." Another interviewee recalls his father saying he would rather his son was a "mongoloid" than gay. Another member of this new community recounts being arrested and jailed for two weeks because of a liaison with a man in an alley. This history of persecution provides a main motivator for wanting to live in an environment where you can be yourself with confidence and where it is highly unlikely that a neighbor will shun or ridicule you.

The sole woman in the video, a handsome matron with a shining gray ponytail, shows a picture of her five sons. "Getting married is just part of life. You get the children, and I wanted that. But I only found out what love is when I went to the women." She shares her collection of historic photos documenting the first demonstrations in the sixties proclaiming gay and lesbian rights.

Although it is not an equivalent comparison, it may be elucidating to note that many U.S. communities have built supportive housing for specific populations: for example, university faculty and staff, retired union workers, actors and musicians, or specific cultural and ethnic groups. There are, of course, quite a number of intentionally or naturally formed retirement communities for gays and lesbians. Often these are not well known outside the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered (GLBT) community for fear of harassment. Pink Sunset Villa openly and proudly proclaims with a plaque that the residents are ‘homosexual" (perhaps this word is used more in Holland than in the United States). The originator of the housing, who appears to have created this small apartment complex because he perceived the need and found the funding, comments on how these residents have crossed a threshold—they are not presenting themselves as heterosexual as they have for so long in the past. They have chosen to grow old and die together and out, rather than in isolation and pretense. One man confesses to still feel fear of harm or harassment but feels that living together provides some safety and peace. They are all in this together. "I want to be among my own kind," he says. Another explains, "I was really lonely these past few years; that's why I like this project so much."

These life stories, told with courage, candor, and charm, give useful cross-cultural and intergenerational perspectives on the similarities and differences experienced by this Dutch community compared to similar groups in the United States. The ineffable sadness of packing up to move, saying farewell to a beloved cat, and sorting through the treasures and junk of a lifetime are poignant and universal. The scenes revealing various levels of relationships between the older people and their adult children and grandchildren provide an international perspective on aging and will remind viewers of their own family dynamics. The exquisite workmanship in the apartments, the easily walkable and shopable neighborhood, and the chummy, cozy pubs are enviously European. Some interesting footage of masked balls some 50 years ago is also quite worth seeing.

However, at 50 minutes, the film might have benefited from some ruthless editing. The story could have been told just as well in 30 minutes and been easier to use in an educational context. Also, the title Pink Sunset Villa manages to evoke quite a number of clichés, but perhaps they do not sound so trite in Dutch. This film could be useful for learning more about coming out in Europe and how individuals have coped with some of the travesties of the past.

Sunset Pink Villa also demonstrates an ideal of retirement living: affordable, handy, friendly, and a small number of apartments in a diverse neighborhood with many amenities. The film gives an enticing glimpse of a world where all medical expenses, including prescription drugs, are completely paid for, home care services are more easily and reasonably available, public transportation is superb, and family-run shops in easy walking distance provide necessities instead of a big box megastore only accessible by car. The scale, cost, and convenience of Pink Sunset Villa are enviable and in dramatic contrast to most U.S. supportive housing for older people.

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