Death A Love Story - the film



More than a film, this intimate exploration of the dying process is a powerful teaching tool.

 

Death: A Love Story is a compelling, first person documentary that confronts our fears of the greatest unknown and reveals the moment-to-moment grace possible at the end of a life.

An Official Documentary Selection at the Sundance Film Festival, this film follows the journey of husband and wife filmmakers Mel Howard and Michelle Le Brun as they confront Mel's unexpected terminal illness and ultimate death. Through their intimate and compelling story, we discover the psychological, spiritual, and sociological aspects of death in American culture.

Contrasted against Mel and Michelle's search for dignity and grace, is the world of medicine, both traditional and alternative, which they must first traverse. In the end, Mel shares his death and discoveries about life with extraordinary clarity and wisdom. This final segment of the film is revelatory in its treatment of death.  Profoundly uplifting and thought-provoking, Death: A Love Story portrays the rite of passage we all must one day face. In all of its irony, power and poetry, it shows us that life's greatest gifts can sometimes be found in the seed of death.

This film is a strong companion to curriculums covering such issues as loss, End-of-life care & counseling, grief counseling, palliative care, medical ethics, epidemiology, and theological issues.

DEATH: A Love Story is a unique and inspiring teaching tool for:

 

  • Psychology, Social Work, Gerontology, End of Life Care
  • Medical Colleges, Nursing Schools, Palliative Care
  • Death Studies
  • Contemplative Studies


What dies?

"Death A Love Story" is a compelling film that describes, with clarity and tenderness, the struggle that patients and their loved ones experience during the process of illness, medical decision-making, and dying. Caregivers should see this film.
- Mitchell M. Levy, MD, FCCM, Professor of Medicine, Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Rhode Island Hospital.

"Unflinching yet poetic!"
- Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Compelling! Insightful! Ultimately reassuring look at facing death with grace and inner peace."
- Glenn Lowell, VARIETY