About the Retirement on Trial Project
Retirement on Trial is a documentary project that explores the emotional, psychological, and social dimensions of retirement through the voices of people navigating this profound life transition. Through two related films, the project examines what happens when careers end—and how we might reimagine the next chapter of life.
The idea for Retirement on Trial began with a simple observation: many people spend decades preparing financially for retirement, yet very little attention is given to the emotional and psychological transition that comes when a career ends.
Why This Film Matters Now
As filmmakers and longtime observers of professional life, we began hearing the same story again and again. People who had spent their lives building meaningful careers—lawyers, judges, farmers, police officers, educators, and entrepreneurs—often found that leaving work was far more complex than they had expected. While retirement is often portrayed as a long-awaited reward, the reality for many includes questions about identity, purpose, community, and meaning.
Retirement on Trial arrives at a moment when, across professions and across generations, people are asking:
How do we prepare not only financially, but also emotionally and socially, for retirement?
What does a meaningful “third chapter” of life look like?
To explore these questions, we began filming interviews with people from different professions and stages of life. What emerged were honest and often moving reflections about the challenges of letting go of a professional identity, the fears and possibilities that accompany retirement, and the search for a meaningful next chapter.
The result is Retirement on Trial, a documentary project designed not only to tell these stories but also to spark conversation. The project includes two related films—one focused on the legal profession and another that expands the lens to people across the working world.
The project includes two related documentary films that explore this transition through different lenses, the first within the legal community and the second across many careers and professions.
