From Executive Producer Bradley Cooper, the documentary follows a group of both paid and unpaid caregivers as they weather the ups and downs of this deeply challenging and immensely meaningful work. Intertwining intimate personal stories with the untold history of caregiving, and featuring caregivers from across the country, as well as interviews with renowned scholars and practitioners in the field, CAREGIVING reveals both the state and the stakes of care in America.

Malcoma Brown-Ekeogu devotes herself to her husband’s care in the final stages of his illness, even when she feels alone in the journey. As the home health aide to Sherril Johnson, who has multiple sclerosis, Zulma Torres provides care with the same kindness that she would for a family member. Matt Cauli juggles care for his young son with care for his wife, Kanlaya, in the wake of a health crisis — keeping the family together against the odds. Kim and Guillaume Olloz raise a disabled daughter in a world not built for people with disabilities — in a home filled with love and care. Tracy Eacret experiences the laughter and the tears of a bittersweet season with her father as his end-of-life caregiver. And the Gutierrez family contends with a chronic illness that makes a caregiver out of a tender-hearted 14-year-old boy.

These stories unfold alongside an examination of the creation and evolution of the care system and the social dynamics that shape our approach to caregiving today. The documentary examines how caregiving in the U.S. has been historically unnoticed and inadequately supported, while economic crises and war have impacted the care needs of the country and the caregiving industry. CAREGIVING traces the roots of America’s social safety net to Frances Perkins, who, as U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945, led the creation of the Social Security Act in response to the Great Depression. The documentary also explores the evolution of social norms regarding caregiving through the decades. CAREGIVING further examines how the need to care for veterans intensified caregiving demands as those returning with physical and psychological injuries were often unable to rejoin the workforce, exposing critical gaps in support systems and driving reforms to better address long-term care needs.

Providing historical context, critical perspective and hope, experts featured in the documentary include Alison Gopnik, PhD, Professor, UC Berkeley; Paul Irving, Senior Advisor, Future of Aging, Milken Institute; Premilla Nadasen, PhD, Professor, Barnard College; Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director, Caring Across Generations; and Steve Schwab, CEO, Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

Narrated by Uzo Aduba (The Residence, Orange is the New Black) and directed by Chris Durrance.

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