THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE WORLD is a decade-long odyssey chronicling the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. As the title inevitably passes from one supercentenarian to the next, acclaimed filmmaker Sam Green traverses the globe to meet each new record holder, his personal fascination with what the title means becoming entangled with events and milestones in his own life. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a poignant meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.
One of “The 13 best movies at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival”
“Delightfully insightful… Sneakily profound and unexpectedly personal… Open-hearted without tipping into sentimentality… The best kind of cinematic experience: an entertaining and enlightening ‘meaning of life’ movie… Green has given his subjects an incredible gift: the kind of immortality only cinema can provide.”
– Peter Debruge, Variety
“Takes a rewardingly personal turn… Gleans a real poignancy… A heartfelt, wistful, and aggressively poignant collection of interviews… An affecting watch… Green is such an open-hearted and genuine searcher… Time is reframed less as something to resist (or defy) than as something to embrace.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“It’s a very beautiful movie and I loved it.” – Anne Thompson, IndieWire – Screen Talk Podcast
“Like a living work of art. The Oldest Person in the World is surprisingly, almost confrontationally life-affirming… This closeness, this intimacy, is the real source of the film’s power — especially in a world where it’s become so easy to avoid real-life human contact… Watching these people, their features embrittled by time and their eyes speaking to us of the unimaginable fragility of our own lives, we realize just how transformational and healing it can sometimes be simply to look into a stranger’s face.” – Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
Included in “The 10 best Sundance 2026 films we watched (virtually)”
“People of all ages should give this encouraging documentary a spin; its well-lived lessons applicable from 0-99. What a gem.” – Cory Woodruff, USA Today
One of “The Must-See Films at the Final Year in Park City”
“A poetic, stirring [documentary] contending with the slippery passage of time and a personal look at familial bonds and carrying values to the next generation.” – Jordan Raup, The Film Stage
One of the “11 Films to Catch at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival”
“As [Green] profiles subject after subject, existential questions arise concerning the human condition, the swift sands of time, and the unique privilege (or perhaps great cost?) of living a long, long life. Arriving after the sonic meditation of 32 Sounds, which won acclaim at Sundance back in 2023, The Oldest Person in the World promises an equally ruminative approach, his time concerning human longevity.” – Natalia Keogan, Filmmaker Magazine
“A consistently surprising, deeply personal and strangely exhilarating exploration of what it means to be alive.”
– Oliver Jones, Observer
“[A] moving celebration of lives lived long… Continually, and slyly, confronts us with our mortality… Green makes for an engaging narrator, managing to strike a wistful yet wryly self-aware tone that’s perfect for a film dealing with both the marvel of supercentenarian life spans and the blunt realities of death.” – Ross McIndoe, Slant Magazine
“A soft and gentle hug of a film, one that reifies life’s most sacred values while retaining the essential mystery behind our most pressing questions… [Green’s] latest documentary is delivered straight from his beating heart… Magical.” – Gregory Nussen, Screen Rant
“A gentle documentary.” – Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair
“Shines as a resounding reminder that the world beyond one’s own is more enriching… Green makes a meal of emotional life in this film… Green’s direction embodies a worldwide fascination and curiosity about what the world’s oldest people have learned… Explores a fascinating subject with curiosity, while introducing us to an equally fascinating group of individuals from around the world. The glimpses into their lives may be fleeting, but the resonance of their stories reverberates.” – Nadia Dalimonte, Next Best Picture
“Thank god for documentarian Sam Green, who follows up his masterful 32 Sounds with The Oldest Person in the World, a charming and soulful look at supercentenarians… A sensational portrait of what it means to keep living in the moment, regardless of what the future might provide, and something of a repudiation to more superficial pursuits.” – Eric Kohn, Southampton Playhouse Post
“Moving… A celebration of life… Something profound emerges as each passing seems to take an entire epoch of time along with it.” – Stephen Saito, The Moveable Fest