‘Tout s'est bien passé’ by François Ozon

François Ozon’s film adaptation of Emmanuèle Bernheim’s 2013 novel follows closely the plot of the original text. When Bernheim’s father, André, suffers a transient ischemic attack (TIA), he is left in a wheelchair, with very limited movement in his right side. Not long after the TIA, André asks Emmanuèle to help him end his life. Although initially shocked and reluctant, André, in his own formidable way, persuades his daughter to help him. Emmanuèle contacts an association in Switzerland, she and her sister, Pascale, meet with the association’s representative and introduce her to their father. Although André’s condition begins to improve following this meeting, and there are moments where the sisters hope he might change his mind, he remains adamant that he wants to end his life. Emmanuèle and Pascale make all the necessary arrangements; however, they are hindered in travelling to Switzerland with their father when someone reports them to the police. Although they are never charged, their solicitor deems it too risky for the sisters to make the trip with their father, so André is forced to travel to Switzerland alone. When André arrives in Berne, he receives the assisted death he wished for, accompanied by the association’s representative and listening to Brahms’ Sonata no. 3 in F minor, a piece that recurs throughout the film. 

Ozon’s film was very well received, and it was particularly praised for giving a rounded picture of the assisted dying debate. The film examines many of the legal and ethical issues related to suicide tourism to Switzerland and provides insights on the role and operation of voluntary organisation, such as Dignitas. The film also considers the ramifications of an assisted death for the various parties concerned, from the individual’s immediate family to the ambulance drivers who transport André to Switzerland. In this regard, religion (particularly Judaism and Islam) feature strongly, offering important insights on the interplay between personal conviction and religious adherence. For all its richness, this film has, surprisingly, not featured in recent debates around the potential introduction of assisted dying in France.