The documentary The Oldest Person In The World from Oscar-nominated documentarian Sam Green is a decade-long odyssey chronicling the changing record holders for the title of oldest person alive.
The Oldest Person In The World had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and has since screened at SXSW, True/False, CPH:DOX, Full Frame, Hot Docs and DC/DOX, among other top festivals. It opens in theaters on Thursday, September 10, in New York, and on Friday, September 18, in Los Angeles and San Francisco; then expands nationwide throughout the Fall.
The documentary chronicles the changing record holders for the title of oldest person alive. As the title inevitably passes from one supercentenarian to the next, director Sam Green traverses the globe to meet each new title 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.
“I became fascinated by the oldest person in the world many years ago while making a documentary about the Guinness World Records,” Sam Green says. “As I worked on the movie, I was repeatedly struck by the fact that the oldest person in the world is a record that changes often: one super old person dies, and the title goes to another super old person. But, more importantly, anytime the title changes hands, it’s big news. Huge news, actually—it’s covered in newspapers around the world and all over the internet.”
Sam Green and the core creative team intend to continue filming the oldest person in the world for the rest of their lives, using the material to make a film every ten years. In this way, it will become an ever-evolving “living film”.
Watch the official trailer for The Oldest Person In The World above.
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