SXSW Film Preview: How to Die in Oregon

In Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner How to Die in Oregon, Director Peter Richardson sets out to document the extremely personal stories of how people's lives were actually affected when Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to pass the "Death with Dignity Act" in 1994 (Washington has since followed suit). The act makes it possible for terminally ill patients to receive legal aid from physicians in ending their lives with a lethal dose of medication. It is what Richardson believes could very well be the next major medical/ethical issue we confront as a nation.

Touching on the good, the bad, the freeing, and the upsetting—an uninsured 53-year-old man with prostate cancer is horrified when he is denied healthcare by the state and told to consider taking advantage of the act—the main focus of the film is Cody Curtis, a 54-year-old wife and mother who finds comfort in the option when she is diagnosed with cancer of the liver and given six months to live.

Like many HBO Documentary Films before it (My Flesh and Blood and Trouble the Water to name a few), How to Die in Oregon possesses a powerful and poignant guarantee. Richardson states, "[Curtis] is constantly making this assessment of, 'How do I want to live this day and do I want to be here tomorrow?' These are very, very profound questions." He continues, " The things that people say when they're in those situations are the truth. And that's an insight into something we're all going to face...a moment we're all going to face."

How to Die in Oregon screens Saturday, March 12th at 5:00pm (Alamo Lamar), Tuesday, March 15th at 2:00pm (Vimeo), and Friday, March 18th at 4:00pm (Arbor). For a complete list of screenings, visit the SXSW Film Schedule.