Crossing Over - Guides with Heart

"My Friend Who Shines in the Night"

Recently, I saw a video of a man who befriended a ghost. The ghost had been hit by lightning and was confused about where it was and what it should do. The man modeled the compassionate and patient behavior of an excellent death doula. Here's a link to that video, called "My Friend Who Shines in the Night." It's in French, so turn on CC / English if desired.

Another short film (5 minutes) I recommend is "The Life of Death." It offers a view of the process of welcoming death and letting go when ready.

These two are animations and respectful of the topic of death and dying. Watching short stories like these help me capture a moment of reflection in my heart, and this is helpful as I learn to accept my mortality and the inevitable deaths of my friends and family.

I think that animation is a great medium for creating stories around death as it allows more flexibility with portraying the artist's imagination. That being said, there are some great films, too, such as "Meet Joe Black" and "Father", both with Anthony Hopkins.

A good starter list of documentaries can be found at "Movies About End of Life" from the site, End of Life Options/New Mexico. I'd add "Last Flight Home: A filmmaker's case for the right to die" about Eli Timonson (the link is to the trailer), and "Prognosis" about Debra (Chas) Chasnoff, documentary film director who opted to have her end-of-life journey recorded (the link goes to INELDA's page summary).

What video or film resources have changed how you view life/death and dying?