'Del otro lado del jardín' by Carlos Framb
Carlos Framb
After assisting in his mother Luzmila Alzate’s death in 2007 and unsuccessfully attempting suicide, the poet Carlos Framb found himself accused of homicide. This memoir recounts Framb’s legal saga, his relationship with his mother, and defends the right-to-die in the context of Colombia, that had decriminalized euthanasia in 1997 but not yet created guidelines for assisted dying.
'Del otro lado del jardín' by Daniel Posada
Daniel Posada (director and screenwriter), Ignacio del Moral (screenwriter)
The poet Carlos Framb wakes in a hospital bed, handcuffed and accused of homicide. He had attempted suicide after assisting his mother Luzmila Alzate to die, which he claims was an act of love. Inspired by Framb’s 2009 memoir by the same title, but with notable differences, this 2024 film turns a real story into a courtroom drama about the individual rights to death and to abortion.
'Last Cab to Darwin' by Jeremy Sims
Jeremy Sims (director and writer), Reg Cribb (writer)
Loosely based on real events in the mid-1990s during a brief period when voluntary assisted dying was legal in Australia’s Northern Territory, this fiction film follows terminally ill taxi driver Rex as he drives 3,000km north to Darwin to try to become the first person in the world to die using an assisted dying machine.
'Simon' by Eddy Terstall
Eddy Terstall (director and writer)
Free-spirited Amsterdam resident Simon suffers from cancer and requests euthanasia, which is possible under Dutch law. The doctor complies with Simon’s request. The film represents euthanasia as one of the major achievements of a free and liberal society, with several progressive politicians citing it as a reflection of Dutch freedoms and values.
'The Leave-Taking' by Ruth Steinberg
Ruth Steinberg
Photo-based artist Ruth Steinberg had been taking pictures of her neighbour and friend, Alma Norman, for years when the latter decided to have a medically assisted death. The intimate photographs from the 5 months leading up to Norman’s death in November 2020 were made public in The Leave-Taking, an exhibit in Karsh-Masson Gallery in Ottawa’s City Hall, in 2023.
'The Room Next Door' by Pedro Almodóvar and Sigrid Nunez
Pedro Almodóvar
Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s 2024 adaptation of American author Sigrid Nunez’s novel ‘What Are You Going Through’ (2020) recounts Ingrid’s decision to care for her dying friend. The film portrays assisted dying positively by framing Ingrid’s decision to assist her friend’s death as motivated by compassion as legalization is being debated in the state of New York.
'Zondag gaat het gebeuren' by Joeri Vlekken
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.