Pacemakers, The

Director: Selah Hennessy

Country: UK

Running Time: 70′

World Premiere

Year: 2017

Charles Eugster, a two-time champion sprinter, is 97 years old. Now he’s competing at long jump, and is preparing for the world championships in South Korea, where thousands of senior athletes are set to compete. A poster boy in the world of senior athletics, Charles is also one of the oldest on the circuit, competing in his own 95+ age category. Meanwhile, the slew of younger men waiting to take his place at the top – the UK’s Dalbir Singh, Dixon Hemphill from the United States, Jim Sinclair from Australia, Hugu Delgado from Peru, and Ziyong Wang from China – are preparing for their own face-off in Perth, Australia. You’d think that all of this would be of concern to Charles. But much to the dismay of his coach, Sylvia, he’s more preoccupied with his pursuit of a potential new girlfriend, in Salah Hennessy’s uplifting, touching portrait of growing old at high speed.