A bold new story of ageing well

Taking Off – The Documentary

What if life didn’t shrink as you got older – but expanded?

Taking Off is a documentary created by Jennifer Jefferies and her wife Alice MacKinnon that follows five women through the highs and lows of an adventure that pushes every one of them to their edge. Along the way, it uncovers what really happens when midlife and elder women stop holding back.

Filmed on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia, this is a story of friendship, grit, fear, freedom, and finally, flight.

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about what’s next.

The story behind the film

Jen has spent over three decades working with women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond – women who are burnt out, overlooked, and tired of being told they’re “past it.”

But here’s what she’s seen: when these women reclaim their health, voice, and space – they rise.

Jen and her wife Alice were tired of seeing surfing documentaries that only featured younger women. They said someone should make a movie about older women who surf. Then they realised – they were someone. Teaming up with surf photographer Hannah Jessup, they set out to learn how to make a documentary from scratch.

Taking Off follows five real women – each one stepping into their next season by saying yes to a skydiving experience. Not for the adrenaline. But to reclaim the parts of themselves they were told to pack away.

Why this matters

In a world obsessed with youth, this film celebrates the power of elder women. Not as a symbol. But as a force.

Through grounded storytelling, candid conversations, and real-life transformation, Taking Off calls for a cultural shift – one where we honour age, not fear it.

This isn’t about reinvention. It’s about remembering. And reclaiming.

Meet the Present Day Wise Woman™

Jennifer Jefferies is a speaker, naturopath, author and advocate for the rise of the Crone. She’s here to restore reverence for elder women – and remind the world of what we lost when we silenced them.

Taking Off is her love letter to the women who’ve lived enough to know better – and are ready to live like it.