Documentary | 75' and 54' | 2005 | color | 16/9 | 35mm, Betacam Digital, Blu-ray
Original version: French
Subtitles: English, Italian, German

SYNOPSIS

No one knows the day or the hour. When illness strikes, accompanied by pain and physical decline, there we are, faced with death. The outlook on what remains of life appears dismal and full of anguish. How to spare oneself, and one’s closest family, painful agony?

Switzerland is the only country in the world where associations, such as EXIT, quite legally provide suicide assistance to people at the end of their lives. For over twenty years volunteers have accompanied sick and handicapped people towards a death of their choice that seems more dignified to them.

In this documentary, these escorts and the people they accompany tackle death head-on.  Not like a taboo or an unacceptable end, but like a release. In a society tending to control everything, they refer us back to this quintessential, intimate question: Is choosing our death not our ultimate freedom?

FESTIVALS AND AWARDS

SWISS FILM AWARD 2006
Best Documentary

GOLDEN LINK AWARD
Best European Coproduction 2006

FULL FRAME FEST
Inspiration Award – Honour Mention

FIFF Namur
Jury Honorable Mention

Visions du Réel 2005, Nyon
International Competition

Etats Généraux du Documentaire, Lussas

Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal, Québec, Canada

Centre de Culture Contemporraine de Barcelone, Espagne

DocuDays Beirut International Documentary Festival 2005, Lebanon

BAFICI Festival internacional de Cine Independiente, Buenos Aires

Festival International du Film de Droits de L’Homme, Paris

13 Muestra Internacional Documental, Bogotá

Yunnan Multiculture Visual Festival, China

6th Eurodok European Documentary Film Festival, Oslo

20th Leeds International Film Festival, Leeds

DocLisboa 2006 International Documentary Film Festival, Portugal

Vancouver International Film Festival, Canada

Locarno International Film Festival, Suisse

Internationales Dokumentarfilmfestival München, Allemagne

Festival International FIPA 2006, Biarritz

41 Journées de Soleure, Suisse