Choosing To Die

The Link

The name Terry Pratchett usually rolls along when one would discuss fantasy novels. If you're not familiar with either him or the Discworld series I suggest you read about it on Wikipedia or perhaps even read a book or two from the series (I warmly recommend them). But this little documentary isn't directly about Terry nor it is about his work which is why I won't bother explaining it.

This documentary covers a bit more important (and perhaps a more interesting) thematic which Terry calls "assisted dying". Assisted dying (or suicide, as the law calls it) is illegal in Europe but not in Switzerland thus the existence of a particular company there that helps people to die in peace. Terry goes around exploring this troublesome and perhaps controversial topic by meeting and talking with people who are considering this option. The sad fact about Terry Pratchett is that he has a very rare type of Alzheimer's disease which is killing off his writing ability day by day. He feels that when his disease advances far enough that it completely destroys his ability to write he should have the right to end his life in a painless process rather than suffering a miserable life. Thus this isn't just a documentary about the topic but also a journey of sort for Terry Pratchett. He explains this a lot better than I did in the first few minutes of the film.

Whatever your opinion might be on this topic and whether you like Terry or not I think it would be healthy to watch this short documentary (it's 60 minutes long) and learn something (new) about life and death.