Death Matters documentary premiere

You are invited to the Cape Town premiere of a new 30-minute documentary about dying in South Africa.

Price: R40 (includes a glass of wine)

The screening will be followed by a Q&A discussion in which the film’s director, producer and initiator will participate.

In ‘Death Matters’, a variety of citizens as well as professionals express their views about the options people living in South African metros have regarding their choices for their final farewell.

While considering options like sky burials, cremations, donation to science and eco burials, the documentary also addresses major problems such as the environmental and financial burden of most traditional burials as well as the lack of space in public cemeteries.

The purpose of the documentary is to showcase the three most essential issues related to burials in South Africa: the space issues in public cemeteries, the environmental concerns about most common burial practices, and the fact that most burials cause dire financial situations for people.

The documentary is part of a larger ‘Death Matters’ project that encourages discussion and much needed innovation (creating space for change) on this lively matter.

Fifty percent of the revenues from the documentary screening will be used to take the documentary to various neighbourhoods in Cape Town.

Death matters is an initiative of Lucienne Kelfkens as part of the innovative project “Creating space for change”, conducted at the University of Cape Town.

The website is to inform both the general public as well as interested parties on the progress of the project and it separate activities, such as:

• Fact finding mission for relevant data regarding the community workshops and consumer education activities around financial literacy and sustainability related to burials.
• the documentary
• product innovation in the funeral insurance industry
• development of ideas for a memorial park
• collaborative efforts with the Netherlands on an interfaith ‘farewell center’
• other upcoming relevant activities for which one of the stakeholders would like to take co responsibility.

Please visit the official website for more information.