A very beautiful documentary about Life, Death, Humanity and those we no longer see.
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A last place of life
« Today we can live longer, yes but how? »
– November 25th, 2004: my grandfather is placed in a old people’s home.
Marcel Bardou, my grandfather, 92 years old and widower for 7 years, has been was placed in a old people’s home, following a fall. Since then, he has been confined to bed. My grandfather was a partially-sighted person and deaf, but in full possession of his mental faculties. In the old people’s home, he was an unhappy man. The camera enabled me both to accompany him, by keeping a certain distance, and to make him exist in this place where he no longer existed. We were close, and I felt less impotent. Progressively with my visits, I discovered his environment, his daily newspaper and I could show the life of a fragile and dependent old person. I shared with him his distress and his anger. he could not handle his life anymore: he had become “an object of care” instead of a human being. Then my grandfather gave up life, he let himself die… He refused to eat, still Master of his body… He wanted to die with dignity, it was his choice.
This report enabled me to think about the place of our “old people” in the society, to question me about the lengthening of the life expectancy. The lifespan increases much but what about the quality of life?
Why do we have to maintain at all costs somebody in life when it is not his wish? Shouldn’t we wonder rather how to help these people die with dignity when they no longer want to live, respecting thus their “will of life”.
– June 7th, 2005: my grandfather died