Watch Four Seasons Lodge

Four Seasons Lodge is a documentary film that captures the story of a community of Jewish senior citizens who spend their summers in the Catskill Mountains of New York. The film explores the daily lives of the residents of the Four Seasons Lodge, a summer resort that has been their getaway for decades. Through their personal stories, the film depicts their experiences of love, loss, aging, and friendship.

Directed by Andrew Jacobs, the film examines the bond between the residents of Four Seasons Lodge and the different ways in which they connect with each other. The film features a range of characters, including a Holocaust survivor, former lawyers, doctors, and teachers, who come together at the Four Seasons Lodge every year to escape the bustle of city life.

Despite a range of health challenges, the residents of Four Seasons Lodge find joy in the simple pleasures of life, including dancing, playing bingo, listening to music, and sharing meals together. The film captures their sense of community and the deep and meaningful relationships they have built over time.

One of the main characters in the film is Esther Zeidman, a former fashion designer who has been living at the Four Seasons Lodge for over 30 years. As an energetic and vivacious woman, Esther embodies the spirit of Four Seasons Lodge. Her love of life and her ability to connect with others draws people to her, and she plays an important role in making the community feel like a family.

The film also focuses on the friendships between the residents, with couples who have formed close relationships over the years. For example, there is Fran and Ed, who have been married for over 60 years, and Betsy and Jack, who came from very different backgrounds but found love at Four Seasons Lodge. Their stories reflect the different ways in which relationships can evolve over time.

In addition to exploring the personal stories of the residents, the film also touches on the historical significance of the Catskill Mountains to the Jewish community. The area was once known as the "Borscht Belt," a popular vacation spot for Jews in the 1940s and 1950s. The Four Seasons Lodge, like many other resorts in the area, was originally built as a summer retreat for Jewish families.

The film is shot in a fly-on-the-wall style, with scenes of the residents going about their daily lives interspersed with interviews with them as they discuss their memories and experiences. The visuals are often nostalgic, with shots of old photographs, fading posters, and ornate decorations that harken back to a different era.

Overall, Four Seasons Lodge is a touching and poignant film that captures the lives of a group of remarkable senior citizens. The film's themes of love, loss, aging, and community will resonate with audiences of all ages, making it a must-watch documentary for anyone interested in the human experience.

Four Seasons Lodge is a 2008 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3.