The only thing certain in life? Death, of course. We quip about it quite readily, but the subject isn’t so easy to broach when it’s all too real and close to home. To coincide with Dying Matters Awareness Week (May 6 to 12), here are two extremely personal and rather beautiful films that offer a fresh perspective on popping your clogs.
Much Ado About Dying (May 3) follows Simon Spencer as he cares for his effervescently eccentric, gay actor uncle David in his twilight years. Living in a deathtrap house of clutter, chaos and mouse droppings, David defiantly and flamboyantly recites Shakespeare while Simon worries, fixes and tries to make life better for his uncle as misfortune and disaster strikes. If you never thought it’s possible to die with a smile on your face, seeing David plough on cheerfully right up until the end might well change your mind.
A whole different kettle of fish is Red Herring (May 3), as director Kit Vincent who was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged 24. “Will you get a new boyfriend when I die?” he asks his girlfriend casually before turning the camera on his parents, particularly father Lawrence, for much questioning of how dad is coping.
Among a host of distracting new hobbies (including creating a mini farm growing medicinal cannabis for his son), non-Jewish Lawrence has turned to Judaism for understanding, which provides a wealth of wisdom and solace. The exchanges between father and son are fascinating and heartbreaking, and huge credit to Vincent for making a deeply nuanced, moving film with barely a hint of darkness.