Death Videos - The Documentary Network

When I Die: Inside Japan’s Death Industry

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:00:51 +0000

Sumiko hops into a coffin and lies down, testing it for size. For her, it’s a chance to “try before you die”. The 40-year-old woman is among a growing number of Japanese taking a proactive approach to planning their funeral, sparking a booming death industry. In 2014, approximately 1.26 million people died in Japan. And with an ageing population, that number is estimated to continue rising until 2042. Japan is running out of space to bury the dead, and traditional funerals have become expensive as a result. The death industry and temples are trying to get creative by finding innovative, affordable ways to send their clients into the afterlife. We take a look at how Japan says its final goodbyes.

A Certain Kind Of Death

Documentary.net staff — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 17:53:18 +0000

Unblinking and unsettling, this documentary lays bare a mysterious process that goes on all around us - what happens to people who die with no next of kin. Dead bodies in various stages of decomposition are seen, but not played for shock factor. Instead, you learn a little about each person, both what they were before death and what will happen to them afterward. They are followed from the discovery of the body to the final disposition of the remains, and each step in between. Filmmakers Blue Hadaegh and Grover Babcock present this dark milieu in surprisingly composed and beautiful scenes. We witness a variety of public employees handling the bodies, personal property and money of those who have died alone, each worker helping nudge the deceased into non-existence. As each life is revealed to us, each is also drawn inevitably toward the same vanishing point. Crews haul away property, crypt workers prepare bodies for disposal. Appliances, furniture and personal knickknacks of the dead end up in a county warehouse, where auctioneers disperse them to strangers who know nothing of the prior owners. Unexpected ironies and compelling imagery force us to ponder the question “What is death?” For the unmourned people we have come to know in the film, it is total erasure.

A Good Day to Die: Fake Funerals in South Korea

Documentary.net staff — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 06:01:58 +0000

Whilst the rest of the world gorges itself on K-Pop, cool Korean movies and smart phones produced by Korean tech giants Samsung, Koreans themselves have never been more bummed out. With an average of 43 people per day taking their own lives, today, South Korea is the suicide capital of the developed world, despite it's rampant economy and booming prosperity. The deaths have caused much soul searching in the national psyche and with 16,000 people per year topping them-selves, the suicide trend show's no sign of abating. In response, a new craze has arisen - the 'Well Dying' or 'Near Death' movement aims to help people appreciate their lives and thus reduce the number of suicides. The most bizarre manifestation of this movement is the rise of 'Fake Funeral' services where people are lectured by a philosophical guru, told to write out their own eulogy's and ultimately climb into a coffin to mediate for 30 minutes so as to experience the afterlife. Vice Japan correspondent Yuka Uchida headed to Seoul to try and find out why so many Koreans are taking their own lives and to experience her own 'death' at a fake funeral ceremony.

The Coffinmaker

Documentary.net staff — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 17:42:06 +0000

Every year, Americans bury enough metal in the ground to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge, says Vashon Island coffin maker Marcus Daly. His simple, handcrafted wooden coffins are an economical and environmentally friendly burial alternative. But Daly believes a coffin's most important feature is that it can be carried. Here's why.

License to Kill – Euthanasia

Documentary.net staff — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:57:32 +0000

It is illegal in Australia, taboo across Asia, and a political and moral minefield to boot, yet poll after poll shows 80 percent of Australians want voluntary euthanasia introduced. The nation shocked the world in the 1990s when the Northern Territory became the first place in the world to permit voluntary euthanasia. The controversial law was almost immediately repealed, but now euthanasia is back on the agenda as it grapples with an ageing population coupled with huge advances in technology that mean many people face a medicalised, prolonged and costly death. As Australia’s state parliaments debate euthanasia bills, the hysteria surrounding the issue is matched only by its ethical complexity and the number of heart-rending stories it generates. Is it the ultimate act of blasphemy, a wrecking ball at the heart of the medical profession, legalised murder of the vulnerable, or a victory for compassion and personal choice? We join euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke as he runs confronting suicide workshops, and 'Right to Life' campaigner Paul Russell who is determined to bring him down. We meet a chronically ill man who wants to kill himself but cannot under Australian law, as well as a quadriplegic who thought he would want to die if he was paralysed but lives a full and happy life. These human stories are given nuance by the views of a Catholic Archbishop determined to prevent it, and a moral philosopher who coolly strips the debate to its ethical core. The term "euthanasia" stems from the Greek – meaning "good death" - but for its vociferous opponents such a thing will only come to pass over their dead bodies. Is Australia finally about to grant its citizens the human right to die with dignity or has an entire nation lost its moral compass? And is voluntary euthanasia a solution?

Marwencol – The fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp

Documentary.net staff — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:35:35 +0000

Outside a small bar in Kingston, NY, Mark Hogancamp was beaten nearly to death, his memories wiped away. Seeking recovery, he builds Marwencol, a miniature World War II-era town filled with doll versions of his friends, fantasies, and even his attackers. As he documents the town’s dramas with his camera, the dolls become living characters in an epic tale of love, adventure, resurrection and revenge. When his photos are discovered by the art world, Mark is suddenly forced to choose between the safety of his imaginary world and the real world he’s avoided since the attack. Mark populates the town he dubs "Marwencol" with dolls representing his friends and family and creates life-like photographs detailing the town's many relationships and dramas. Playing in the town and photographing the action helps Mark to recover his hand-eye coordination and deal with the psychic wounds of the attack. When Mark and his photographs are discovered, a prestigious New York gallery sets up an art show. Suddenly Mark's homemade therapy is deemed "art", forcing him to choose between the safety of his fantasy life in Marwencol and the real world that he's avoided since the attack. "Marwencol" was released theatrically by the Cinema Guild and aired on PBS. It has won over 25 awards, including two Independent Spirit Awards, Best Documentary of the Year from the Boston Society of Film Critics and Rotten Tomatoes, and the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the South by Southwest Film Festival. The Los Angeles Times calls the film “an exhilarating, utterly unique experience” while the Village Voice says that it's “exactly the sort of mysterious and almost holy experience you hope to get from documentaries and rarely do.” Update: Film not available online anymore, now on DVD

Ed’s Story – Dealing with the Upcoming Death

Documentary.net staff — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:58:23 +0000

Ed Dobson reminds us that life isn't over yet and that we don't have to feel overwhelmed by the struggles we're facing today. Difficult news can sometimes make us feel like our lives are over. Ed shows us that we don't know the future, and that things may turn out quite differently from what we expect. When Ed was told that his life would be over in a few short years, he found his priorities drastically rearranged. He wanted to mend relationships that may have been broken. He decided that relationships were way more important than who was right and who was wrong. It Ain't Over

I was diagnosed with ALS in November, shortly before Thanksgiving. About a week later I was sitting on the porch of my house watching the first snowfall of the season. As I sat there I was beginning to sink into that darkness. I was thinking that this would be my last winter. I was thinking that this would be my last Christmas. I was hoping to make it to spring!

edsstory.com Get the full 7 part series Wikipedia: "...Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a form of motor neurone disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input... The disorder is characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy and fasciculations, spasticity, dysarthria, dysphagia, and respiratory compromise. Sensory function generally is spared, as is autonomic and oculomotor activity. ALS is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease with most affected patients dying of respiratory compromise and pneumonia after 2 to 3 years; although some perish within a year from the onset of symptoms, and occasional individuals have a more indolent course and survive for many years..."

Don’t Text While Driving

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:16:43 +0000

This documentary features stories of real individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by texting behind the wheel. Texting behind the wheel appears to be a growing problem. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 5,500 people were killed in 2009 because of “distracted driving” and the largest proportion of those fatalities were people under 20. The doc was part of AT&T’s “It Can Wait” TV, print and online campaign in 2010.

Terry Pratchett – Choosing to Die (Medically Assisted Death)

Documentary.net staff — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:10:50 +0000

He explores the realities of medically assisted death. Having been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's disease in 2008, Terry considers how he might choose to end his life as his condition progresses. In a moving documentary he meets those who, like him, would like to control the way they die including a men suffering from degenerative conditions and he is with a British motor neurone sufferer as he carries out an assisted death at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.

Last Minutes with Oden

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:40:29 +0000

Jason Wood shares a very sad moment with the filmmakers when Oden's struggle with cancer finally comes to an end. A moving documentary about a friendship to end.

Into the Mind of a Suicide Bomber

Documentary.net staff — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:43:12 +0000

Pacha Khan, a 25 year old, from the Logar province in Afghanistan says he is ready to become a human bomb and kill foreigners in his country. Sue Turton traveled to northern Afghanistan, and met some of the young men who are preparing to be part of that deadly plan. "God willing, our leaders have prepared everything for me, I am now waiting for my orders". His Commander reveals off camera that the plan was for him to strike during next week's elections. "Many others are ready to martyr themselves but he is always saying he wants to be the first. That's why we gave him priority". It's a tactic that is on the rise in Afghanistan, and one, the Taliban say it will use to derail parliamentary elections planned for next week. The UN says that suicide bombers were responsible for around three quarters of all civilian deaths in Afghanistan.

Amy Winehouse Dead at 27

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:19:08 +0000

Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her home in London. The 27-year-old singer has battled drug and alcohol addiction, but the cause of her death isn't known. Winehouse shot to fame with the album "Back to Black," which won five Grammys.

Unlawful Killing – Princess Diana’s Death [TRAILER]

Documentary.net staff — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:11:55 +0000

Unlawful Killing is the story of the deaths of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul. It reveals a cover-up by the British Establishment culminating in a six month inquest. Keith Allen's documentary recreates key moments from the inquest and demonstrates how vital evidence of foul play was hidden from public scrutiny, how the Royal Family were exempted from giving evidence and how journalists, particularly those working for the BBC, systematically misreported the events and in particular, the verdict itself. On May 13 Cannes saw the premiere of Keith Allens documentary „Unlawful Killing“about the tragic death of Lady Diana and her lover Dodi Al Fayed. When Diana died in a car crash in 1997, conspiracy theories quickly spread – and director Allen, as the title already suggests, also believes that Diana was killed by the British Establishment. The official trailer uses the word „murder“ several times and presents several „witnesses“. If the film really presents hard evidence or simply cashes in on it’s subject remains to be seen. In Britain, the trailer already caused a lot of controversy, not only because it suggests that Diana was killed but also because it shows a photo of the dying „Queen of Hearts“. „Unlawful Killing“ was partly financed by Mohammed Al Fayed.

Aftermath: The Legacy of Suicide

Documentary.net staff — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 06:10:22 +0000

This documentary looks at how children deal with a parent committing suicide. Meet 3 people who lost their fathers to suicide at an early age but learned the truth much later, after years of confusion, grief and guilt. In French with English subtitles.

Sacrifice: A Slaughterhouse Documentary

Documentary.net staff — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:32:49 +0000

A short documentary film detailing the process of halal live animal slaughter. An exploration of man-made transformation. Explicit content, viewer discretion advised. Completed for SVA's Social Documentary Film MFA program. Produced, lensed and edited by Lucas P. Smith