Liz Carr (writer/presenter), James Routh (director)

This BBC documentary follows actor and disability campaigner Liz Carr as she explores reasons why assisted dying, which she calls assisted suicide, should not be legalised in the UK. It is unusual both for constituting a mainstream programme that openly opposes legalisation of assisted dying, and for doing so using humour.

Sumira Roy (Director)

This quiet documentary displays the daily lives and material reality of octogenarian couple Narayan and Iravati Lavate who rose to prominence in 2018 for their plea to die by state-sanctioned euthanasia despite being physically and mentally healthy. The film humanizes Narayan and Iravati, showing the legal, societal and ethical resistance to their desire to “die with dignity.”

Jeremy Ervine (dir.)

After learning that his oesophageal cancer has spread to his lungs, petrol station chain CEO Peter Short becomes the face of an Australian Senate assisted dying bill. This crowd-funded documentary recounts his political campaign, and his (unassisted) death, featuring interviews from Short’s family alongside ones from politicians and activists from both sides of the Australian right-to-die debate.

Rowan Deacon (director)

This primetime television documentary follows UK resident Simon Binner, diagnosed with an aggressive form of motor neurone disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), as he and those around him deal with his swiftly progressive illness and his decision to end his life through an assisted death in Switzerland.

Pola Rapaport (director)

The Belgian wheelchair athlete Marieke Vervoort suffered from progressive myelopathy, a rare degenerative muscle disease. The winner of multiple medals at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games experienced increasingly unbearable pain and chose to pass away through euthanasia in 2019, which is presented in a positive light. As a public figure, her case sparked widespread debate in the media.

Elena Lindemans (director)

Filmmaker Elena Lindemans discusses her mother’s suicide with her sister, her mother’s partner, doctors and others. Her mother took her own life after doctors told her that her mental suffering did not meet the criteria for euthanasia. The documentary critiques the limited access to euthanasia for psychological reasons at the time of its production, despite having been legally possible since 2002.

Joeri Vlekken (director)

This award-winning documentary follows Carl Ridders, a 50-year-old Dutch-Belgian actor with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), in his final months before choosing assisted death. It captures theatrical photoshoots during which Carl was photographed by Lieve Blancquart. It subtly suggests assisted death as a way to preserve dignity and avoid suffering in one’s last moments.