Directed by : Fernand Melgar

Genre : Documentary

Duration : 75′ et 54′

Year : 2005

Original version : French

Subtitles : English, German, Italian

EXIT – the right to die

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?

Credits

Directed by : Fernand Melgar

Images : Camille Cottagnoud, Steff Bossert

Sound : Blaise Gabioud

Editing : Karine Sudan

Sound editing : Philippe Jacquet

Sound mix : Denis Séchaud

Postproduction : Joseph Meizer, Daniel Wyss

Color grading : Peter Guyer

Production : Climage | Les productions JMH

Producers : Fernand Melgar, Jean-Marc et Mathieu Henchoz

Line producer : Florence Adam

Coproduction : RTS | RSI | SSR SRG | ARTE FRANCE, Thierry Garrel, Pierette Ominetti | YLE TV2 Documentaries

Financial support : Office fédéral de la culture (DFI), Fonds Regio Films Succès Passage Antenne

Withe the help of : Swiss-Finnish Point, une initiative de VISIONS DU REEL NYON, Gabriela Bussmann et Avek Helsinki, Timo Humaloja

© 2008 Climage – Les productions JMH

Trailer

Watch the film (VOD)

In Switzerland : PlaySuisse

International : YouTube

Show the film

(public screenings / festivals)

In Switzerland : fernandmelgar@bluewin.ch

World sales : fernandmelgar@bluewin.ch

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