Buzau’s Astonishing Longevity: Communities Revealing Secrets to a Long Life with Remarkable 90+ Residents
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A series of video documentaries, initially produced through a partnership with DigiWorld and later continued by the Buzău Land Association, reveals an unusual prevalence of individuals aged 90 and 100 years and older in several communities within the UNESCO Geopark Buzău Land.
On December 6, 2023, in the realm of the “Living Fire” in Buzău Land, even people seem animated by an inner flame that leads them to live long lives in archaic harmony with nature. Apparently, Buzău Land—a region declared an International UNESCO Geopark in 2022—hosts what scientists have dubbed a “blue zone,” a region where many community members enjoy an unusually long lifespan compared to the global population average.
The data from the town hall of Mânzălești, in Valea Slănicului, shows that out of the 2000 residents in the area, 40 are over 90 years old, representing approximately 2% of the population. This incidence is unusual, being four times higher compared to the national average in Romania, where, according to the latest census, out of the total population of 19.053 million, 102,000 people are over 90 years old, accounting for 0.5% of the population.
The percentage in Mânzălești is comparable to that in famous “blue zones” such as Icaria in Greece, or Sardinia or the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. While these remote places have already been extensively publicized, Mânzălești and Valea Slănicului are a revelation and a yet-to-be-told secret, waiting to be discovered.
The Buzău Land Association aims to uncover the secrets of the local elders so that they do not disappear with them, capturing on film this reservoir of wisdom that has enabled the locals to lead peaceful lives and achieve longevity records.
“With our efforts, along with those of our partners, to include Buzău Land in the exclusive group of UNESCO Geoparks, we have discovered true treasures in the region that go beyond tourist or gastronomic attractions and enter the realm of well-being and the quality of life we all aspire to. The first episodes produced by Digi World in partnership with us revealed a surprising vein of longevity, which we have decided to explore further through new documentary films as part of a Geopark project. We want to bring all these aspects to light for Romanians and the world to learn about,” says Răzvan-Gabriel Popa, Manager of the UNESCO Geopark Buzău Land.
The entire Buzău Land is an exponent of longevity, perhaps because a healthy lifestyle has been preserved here, deeply rooted in agricultural rituals and ancient traditions. The locals consume clean food grown in their gardens, work and stay physically active, observe fasting, eat and drink in moderation, are reconciling, and entrust their lives to destiny, a mentality that gives them a detachment and stoic strength to overcome difficulties. All of these factors are contributed to by the unpolluted air, salt, terrain, forests, and the special vibration of this area, so generously endowed by nature.
However, this simple and natural way of life is on the verge of disappearing: the area is depopulating, and the younger generation prefers the city and its convenient but often toxic lifestyle.
Mini-documentaries on the Secrets of a Long and Peaceful Life
A film crew from the Geopark has produced a series of documentaries, titled “Buzău Land, Piece by Piece,” about longevity and ephemerality, two extremes coexisting in one of the least known and most beautiful regions of Romania. Longevity, because people here live unusually long lives, and ephemerality, because this way of life is on the brink of disappearing.
“We aim to preserve it for memory, to cinematically capture its wisdom and vitality in a series of documentaries about the most sustainable lifestyle: communion with nature. Let’s learn again from the elders of Buzău Land what we knew and forgot: simplicity, moderation, and common sense,” says the coordinator of the video documentary project, Anca Grădinariu, TV producer and member of the Buzău Land Association.
“We realized that we have a treasure in front of us, something very precious: we managed to discover and film true human landmarks, from which we can learn how to lead a healthy, independent life into deep old age, in peace with oneself and the surrounding environment. All of this in a modern world where nature preservation and sustainability have become urgent priorities. We won’t stop here: we will continue to talk to the people of the area, listen to their advice, film them as they live their lives as they have for decades, to discover their incredible vitality, longevity, wisdom, and resilience. We will relearn what we have forgotten: to live in harmony with nature. Much and well,” adds the author of the reports.
Anca Grădinariu spoke with dozens of seniors to find out the secret of what keeps them alive, now feeling like a true member of the community. “When I come here, to Valea Slănicului, to film, people come to me and tell me about their relatives and acquaintances who are 90, 100 years old and are still vibrant and hardworking. There are elderly people who have never heard of the lifestyle in their lives and yet have adopted a healthy way of living because that’s how they inherited it or because common sense and experience have taught them it’s the right choice. With the knowledge gained from a master’s degree in consumer sociology, I practically conducted qualitative research, with results not very different from those documented in the book or documentary ‘Blue Zones.’ I believe it is the duty of competent institutions to investigate this phenomenon more thoroughly and quantitatively, as long as it still exists (in Valea Slănicului or elsewhere), because its conclusions could greatly help Romanian society and our desire to live a longer and healthier life.”
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