The Good Death
Nominated for
Best Documentary
Directed by
Tomas Krupa
83' • Slovakia • 2019
Language:
English
Janette is terminally ill and wants to die in a dignified way but British laws do not allow it. She gets in touch with Dr. Erika in Switzerland, who is willing to help her. Muscular dystrophy, the illness that Janette suffers from, has affected her family for generations. Janette must plan her journey to Switzerland before her rapidly advancing disease makes it impossible. With inner peace Janette organizes her departure while her loved ones go through an emotional storm. Her son Simon has also inherited this illness and, therefore, has much more sympathy regarding her decision than his sister Bridget. The relationship drama escalates as death comes closer. Do we own our life or does it own us?
Director's Bio: Producer, director based in Slovakia. The winner of the Slovak national film award The Sun in the Net 2020.He graduated in 2009 from Department of Documentary Film at the Academy of Arts in Slovakia. In 2012 he directed and co-produced his feature debut "Graduates: Freedom Is Not For Free". The documentary was aired on the Czech and Slovak national television channels and was theatrically released in both countries as well. In 2013 he established his own production company, Hailstone, focused mainly on producing independent creative documentaries about the topics of society, current affairs, social issues and portraits. Its latest release "The Good Death (2019)" is the result of an international coproduction of France, Austria and the Czech Republic including the collaboration with broadcasters ARTE, Czech Television, Radio and Television Slovakia. It has been screened at film festival around the world, won several film awards including Best Documentary at The Sun in a Net 2020 granted by Slovak Film and Television Academy SFTA and was theatrically released in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.