CineVegas 2009 Preview: ‘Youth Knows No Pain’

CineVegas 2009 is right around the corner (this week to be precise), and We Are Movie Geeks are going to be there in full force. Throughout the festival, which runs from June 10th through the 15th, we are going to be bringing you all the coverage you need including reviews, interviews, party breakdowns, and red carpet premiere coverage.

Welcome to HBO’s newest documentary ‘Youth Knows No Pain’ that tackles America’s obsession with getting old. Mitch McCabe is the daughter of a plastic surgeon and in this doc she takes us on a revealing journey into the lucrative business of beauty and anti-aging and the minds of those who patronize this business. The film looks to be a hit, presenting a real contemporary topic in a humorous but insightful way.

Here’s the film’s synopsis:

In this thoughtful look at modern problems, director Mitch McCabe sets off across the United States to look at the ins, outs, nips, and tucks of the anti-aging industry. From Minnesota to Texas, from eye lifts to hair transplants, McCabe talks to those – too saggy, too wrinkled, too bald – who have undergone some form of age-reducing surgery or treatment, leaving the director to question her own appearance and (surgical) potential.

McCabe, the daughter of a plastic surgeon, touches upon the American fascination with beauty, culture, celebrity, and vanity, combining unique perspective for a sensitive yet amusing outlook. McCabe doesn’t distance herself from the subjects but engages them, admitting her own desire for youth and her fear of aging — even if it means thousands of dollars in debt from attending film school and a low-paying temp job that will never cover it, the desire for a smooth and youthful complexion is hard to resist. McCabe combines more than two years of interviews with more than a decade of home video footage, giving us an engaging and enlightening behind-the-scenes look at the least wrinkled, most compelling people behind the $60-billion-a-year industry.

‘Youth Knows No Pain’ screens onSaturday, June 13 at 6:30 pm and on Sunday, June 14 at 10:00 am.