Death Makes Life Possible

The description of this film is highly misleading. Any beauty is bought from stock footage and every 'interview' is simply Marilyn nodding and agreeing with light anecdotes and huckster wisdom. Despite being firmly spiritual and non-religious in tone, the person that comes out best is a Muslim cleric who notes that birth and life are temporary and death is permanent. Of course the one time the interviewer asks a follow up question is when she thinks a jovial and intelligent guy from the Skeptic Society might be in denial about a conversation with his dead mother. The mistake seems to be focusing on the egoists who are 'at peace' with their own death or talk about looking down at their bodies in near death experiences. A much better film would have focused on the much more important issue of what death means for the living. This film inexplicably leaves the grieving to two elephants.

I've watched this film several times and have been amazed at how much content there is to ponder and talk about. I love that it's such an excellent conversation starter - not just about death, but about how we choose to live our lives.

I find the film to be a great balance of research from scientists and professionals, as well as personal firsthand stories. To me, both are relevant in the discussion of the mystery of death.

The film also expresses so many things we as a culture don't tend to talk about - such as the possibility of communication with those who have died and studies that suggest the reality of consciousness surviving physical death. Very life-affirming and comforting for those who have experienced the death of a beloved or parent or friends, as I have in my life.

I also enjoyed how the film looks at the bigger picture of consciousness and how exploring various worldviews and perspectives on death point to our interconnectedness as humans. If you want to look at death differently, watch this film! I highly recommend it.