May 4
Writer/Director: Ralph Arlyck
Director Ralph Arlyck will join us for a talkback after the film.
We talk or laugh about aging, its irritations and relentless progression, but rarely confront the reality of dying or being left alone. Nor do we consider the lightness and calmness that can come when the race seems not so crucial. I Like It Here is about all those things and, finally, about the pleasures of being alive.
A key figure in American independent documentary film, Ralph Arlyck conveys how it feels to look back on your own life, to contemplate your place in an ever-changing world, and what to make of the time that remains. He wanders through his neighborhood and his own past to understand what’s happening within his body and brain — and those of the friends he encounters. What it's like to feel your joints and thoughts stiffen but to be more relaxed about getting ahead or keeping up.
The film’s mood is more wistful and upbeat than sad. Arlyck has a droll take on entering the last lap, and the other septuagenarians he meets are a lively bunch. The film’s title has a double meaning — “here” refers to both the filmmaker’s green, rural surroundings and the preciousness of life itself.
Ralph Arlyck has never denied his urge to pick up a camera and document his life on film. Now, as he approaches his 80s, he delicately stitches this archive together to craft a compelling reflection on mortality, community, and the passage of time. Like having a conversation with an excellent interlocutor, I Like It Here meanders through a life well-lived; guiding us through portraits of Arlyck’s loved ones as he ponders on the undeniability of aging and death. Layers of time and connection unfold as footage shot across multiple decades interplay with each other; blurring the firm boundary between past and present. From an influential figure in American independent documentary, this gentle and personal essay embraces the beauty of everyday life, reminding us of the simple pleasure of being alive.