The Elderly Can also be Cute and Lovely - GDP: Grandmas’ Dangerous Project

“GDP: Grandmas’ Dangerous Project” is a movie about the problems faced by the elderly, a global issue of increasing importance. Unlike most of the films with the related theme, it does not have a sad tone. Quite on the contrary, it tells a cheerful story and is, in fact, a product of out-of-the-box thinking.

The film’s funny name is an attraction in itself. The initials “G.D.P” hint at some serious undertaking, preparing the audience for the thrill and excitement of an action film. And it also arouses curiosity about the participation of “grandmas” in the operation. What kind of dangerous project are the grannies involved in? How is the project initiated? Is it within the capability of the old women? Will the project be accomplished? Such are the questions that keep the audience emotionally engaged all through. And it is only towards the end of the movie that the mystery is solved.

And the story is mainly dedicated to the question HOW. The old women, each with her own story, are somehow brought together. Through sharing about their problems in their daily lives, they become aware of the need to seek self-sufficiency as long as they are still alive. And in their attempt to achieve this goal, they conceptualize the project.

In spite of its short duration, this light-hearted story has a hidden message behind the scenes. Though described in a very casual way, even evoking occasional bursts of laughter, the incidents are reminiscent of the existing problems in current society.

Granny Hou behaves in a childish way in order to draw her grandchild’s attention. To her disappointment, however, her daughter-in-law gets annoyed with her and cautions her against such insensible behaviour. She thus feels lonely and uncared for. The story reminds us of the elderly deprived of their dignity and importance because the youngsters do not care much about their opinion and suggestions.

Granny Ying comes back to Macau to host the funeral of her sister. She discovers, to her dismay, that her sister had an unaccomplished dream about visiting her in England. Since then, the old lady has been dwelling on sad memories and regrets. The story raises concern about the problem of depression, which can be triggered by financial concerns, loneliness and ill health, among the elderly. In the case of Granny Ying, bereavement is obviously the cause.

Granny May is found to be messing up her household chores, forgetting her meals and over feeding her fish. Her reduced ability to perform everyday activities is the result of a decline in her memory. This is undoubtedly a call for greater attention to the problem of dementia.

The well conceived script enables the twenty-minute film to deliver a message of such thoroughness. It features brief scenes, each with only a few characters, or only one character, a limited period of time, a clear location and a single event that changes and moves the story forward.

In addition, even without much dialogue, the clarity of the message is enhanced with the use of a certain object as the focal point of attention. The audience will always remember the naughty pair of plastic eyeballs with which Granny Hou tries to bridge the generation-gap and curry favour with her grandchild. When she is complaining tearfully about her son’s negligence of her physical weakness, her only listener turns out to be the pair of plastic eyeballs! The diary in Granny Ying’s story is also memorable as she is seen turning the pages, losing herself in her sister’s secret thoughts. Regarding Granny May, there seems no need for any particular object to highlight her dementia problem, as her constant look of bewilderment and blankness is explicit enough.

For the main part, the film has a comedic tone with the use of irony and ridicule to showcase disturbing truths about the ageing population. And, as the film is nearing its end, the director heightens the comic appeal to ring the curtain up on the project. All fully equipped, and one with the pistol in hand, the three grannies make a pose like a hero’s, ready for action. While the audience are craning their necks in expectation of the actual implementation of the dangerous project, all the images suddenly vanish from the scene and only the grannies’ voices can be heard with police sirens in the background, thus setting the final impression that the long awaited questions are left unanswered. But this is exactly the effect desired; there is something more important than the result of the project, or even the project itself, that the director would like to impress the audience with.

The film is inspirational though there is no emphasis regarding a moral lesson. The audience leave the cinema happily, quite convinced that old people can also be cute and lovely as long as they are treated with  appreciation, dignity and respect.