Oct. 24th, 2016
Saturday night, my husband and I decided to watch a movie. We were trying out a new babysitter and were back from supper a bit early. We scanned Netflix, searching for something upbeat and meaningful. We both stopped to consider a documentary about a homeless woman living in Santa Monica, California. That is what we chose to watch.
At first, we see Mimi who has no teeth but is always smiling. She is hunched over, dishevelled and sending kisses to the camera. You can tell she is a character. Vin and I were both reminded of my Grandmother. She was short and spunky like Mimi and, a tad bit flirtatious.
Mimi lives in a laundromat. She was homeless for a long time but, one wet and cold night, she was allowed to stay in the laundromat for shelter and she never left. She slept on a plastic chair at night and helped clients at the laundromat during the day. She even had her own paying clients. She became a celebrity in Santa Monica. Clients looked forward to chatting with Mimi. She liked to go to the bars at night and, since she had her own key to the laundromat, she could party and let herself in at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
The first part of this documentary is all about her being cheeky. We hear from friends and clients who think she's amazing. We learn that the person filming this documentary is a guy who works at a coffee shop across the street. However, as the movie progresses, we realize that nobody really knows much about her. She doesn't share much information about her past. She is a mystery to her coworkers, friends and many admirers.
A few celebrities like Zack Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones Diary) took her out and included her at red carpet events. She had many friends and seemed content. However, the more people talked about her and how much she meant to them, the more you wondered, Why is she still living in a laundromat, sleeping on a plastic chair?
The documentary interviews people who have invited her to stay for a while. You hear about her drinking and her late nights. Some co-workers say Mimi hates homeless people and won't let them into the laundromat, where she once stayed to keep her warm. We witness her getting angry at a client because he moved her basket, it contained her client's order. She definitely has strong opinions.
We then delve into her background, how she ended up on the street and who she left behind. Mimi was married for 29 years. Her husband cheated and she left him. She lost the house and lived in her van until it was taken away from her because she couldn't afford to pay for her licence to be renewed. She ate leftovers thrown into the bin behind local restaurants, she slept in bushes or doorways, she made shoes and blankets out of newspaper. Mimi explains that she had been out of work for years because her husband insisted that she stop working when they got married. She hadn't worked in nearly 30 years and that made it difficult for her to gain employment.
Just when you think you've heard it all, you find out she has two daughters. Your mind is swimming with questions. Where are they? How old would they be? Does Mimi have grandchildren? Do they know she's homeless? How did they get separated? Why didn't they help? It turns out, one of her daughters has passed away. She was looking for her and never found her. The other daughter is found by a friend during the filming of this documentary. They start building a relationship. Mimi meets her grand daughters. Mimi's daughter tells viewers that they were a united family, churchgoers and she didn't know where her mother went. They did look for her. They hoped to be reunited one day. Now, this dream has come true for the one daughter.
Another dream comes true as well. Zack Galifianakis rents an apartment for Mimi just across from the Laundromat. She finally has a bed to sleep in and a home of her own. At the end of the documentary, we see Mimi with Yaniv Rokah, the young man who works at the coffee shop across from the laundromat. He is escorting her to a movie theatre for the premiere of the documentary he has created about her life. Her daughter and granddaughters are there as well. Mimi gets a standing ovation.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Queen Mimi. This documentary has many layers, like Mimi herself. She is slowly revealed-Bride, Mother, Sunday School teacher, divorced woman, homeless lady, laundromat resident and employee, celebrity and, inspiration.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Showing posts with label older woman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label older woman. Show all posts
Monday, 24 October 2016
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Iris Apfel
March 1st, 2016
For the past two weeks, the snow storms have kept me home. Unable to get out and meet exciting women to interview, I wrote about Louise Bourgeois last week and now, I'd like to present Iris Apfel. If you work in the fashion industry, then you already know her. However, I will hazard a guess that some of you have never heard of her, I hadn't, but you should.
Last night, my husband and I watched a documentary about this amazing woman. She is 94 years old and lives in New York. At first, I stared at the tv screen, stunned by this larger-than-life woman. She was wearing bright colours, furs, hats, large black-rimmed glasses and massive jewelry. She doesn't like tiny, precious jewelry. She prefers bold pieces that make a statement. Her home is a museum of sorts with wall to wall designer outfits and chunky jewelry from all over the world.
She spoke of her desire to wear jeans when she was younger. She was told that women don't wear jeans. She insisted and, eventually, the store owner sent her a pair of boys' jeans. She wore them and loved it. She accessorized and made them trendy. Throughout the documentary, you can see photographs of her travels. She has been all over the world, purchasing fabrics and jewelry. She explains how to barter with merchants, how they are disappointed if you pay without negotiating the price.
They show her in her 90s, visiting fashion sets where young models wear her combinations of clothing and accessories or, getting dolled-up for a photos shoot. She shops around for new items of clothing or to add to her collection of eclectic jewelry. Her husband, obviously dressed by her, sits and waits, occasionally weighing in on one of her purchases. He is a sweet man, talking about his love for his wife and confirming that he could never get bored with Iris as his wife.
She worked in the fashion world and as an interior designer. She and her husband owned a design company and were requested to help decorate the White House on many occasions. When The Met called her because an exhibit they had planned fell through, she put together an exhibit of her designer fashions and accessories. They promoted the exhibit through word of mouth and it was extremely well received. So much so that Iris became famous. She still receives 50 calls a day from media wanting her to attend an event, a photoshoot or, requesting an interview. I loved watching this woman, doing what she loves with her devoted husband at her side, shopping with her assistant, haggling with store merchants, dressed up in full garb.
When I grow old, I want to be active and passionate, wild, colourful and eccentric just like Iris Apfel.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
For the past two weeks, the snow storms have kept me home. Unable to get out and meet exciting women to interview, I wrote about Louise Bourgeois last week and now, I'd like to present Iris Apfel. If you work in the fashion industry, then you already know her. However, I will hazard a guess that some of you have never heard of her, I hadn't, but you should.
Last night, my husband and I watched a documentary about this amazing woman. She is 94 years old and lives in New York. At first, I stared at the tv screen, stunned by this larger-than-life woman. She was wearing bright colours, furs, hats, large black-rimmed glasses and massive jewelry. She doesn't like tiny, precious jewelry. She prefers bold pieces that make a statement. Her home is a museum of sorts with wall to wall designer outfits and chunky jewelry from all over the world.
She spoke of her desire to wear jeans when she was younger. She was told that women don't wear jeans. She insisted and, eventually, the store owner sent her a pair of boys' jeans. She wore them and loved it. She accessorized and made them trendy. Throughout the documentary, you can see photographs of her travels. She has been all over the world, purchasing fabrics and jewelry. She explains how to barter with merchants, how they are disappointed if you pay without negotiating the price.
They show her in her 90s, visiting fashion sets where young models wear her combinations of clothing and accessories or, getting dolled-up for a photos shoot. She shops around for new items of clothing or to add to her collection of eclectic jewelry. Her husband, obviously dressed by her, sits and waits, occasionally weighing in on one of her purchases. He is a sweet man, talking about his love for his wife and confirming that he could never get bored with Iris as his wife.
She worked in the fashion world and as an interior designer. She and her husband owned a design company and were requested to help decorate the White House on many occasions. When The Met called her because an exhibit they had planned fell through, she put together an exhibit of her designer fashions and accessories. They promoted the exhibit through word of mouth and it was extremely well received. So much so that Iris became famous. She still receives 50 calls a day from media wanting her to attend an event, a photoshoot or, requesting an interview. I loved watching this woman, doing what she loves with her devoted husband at her side, shopping with her assistant, haggling with store merchants, dressed up in full garb.
When I grow old, I want to be active and passionate, wild, colourful and eccentric just like Iris Apfel.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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