98-year-old Mary reminds us that people her age are sometimes forgotten, but still very much alive. Call your grandma.

Junk Mail screened at NFFTY 2016 in the Friday Night Shorts screening.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Charles Frank is a director, editor, and co-founder of Voyager Creative. He makes films that are empathetic, humanistic and heart filled. His two proudest pieces of work, Junk Mail and My Baby You’ll Be, have reached over 10 million people online, and have been featured in The Atlantic, Huffington Post, and Upworthy, among others. In 2016, he was honored at the SHOOT New Directors Showcase, and has directed for brands such as Miller Lite, Hasbro, and Future of Storytelling. He has also edited documentaries for Dick's Sporting Goods and The New York Times Op-Docs. Through all of his work, he strives to connect audiences to the subjects on screen, but also to one another.

A Brief Interview with Charles:

Why did you decide to make this film?

I was working on a day-in-the-life doc shoot about a girl from Afghanistan studying at Lafayette College. As part of it, we followed her with a group of friends down the road to this nondescript building. To our surprised, we opened the door to a large group of elderly woman cheering and warmly greeting the familiar faces of their Lafeyette College volunteers. We only spent a couple hours there, but it was by far the most memorable part of the shoot. We decided one day we’d come back and spend some more time there… so we did!

What was your favorite part about making it?

Most documentary subjects are intimidated by the cameras and strangers interrupting their everyday life. But at the senior center, and particularly with the main subject, Mary, we were so happily welcomed in. It seemed as if everyone was incredibly confident in who they were, and had no reservations about sharing and being open on camera.

What are you working on now?

I just finished up working on my first feature documentary serving as an editor – it should be coming out within the next couple of months! Other than that, I’m pitching on a few different documentary series, and slowly chipping away at a longer term doc story about these two brothers I grew up with… I’m not yet sure where it will take me, but that’s the fun part!

Find Charles & Junk Mail online:

Website: www.voyagercreative.com
Facebook: facebook.com/voyagercreative
Instagram: @voyagercreative -- instagram.com/voyagercreative