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?

Documentary | 75 min. | 2005 | color | 16/9 | betacam digital

Original version French, with English and German subtitles

Festival and award 
Visions du Réel 2005, Nyon, compétition internationale, Etats Généraux du Documentaire, Lussas, mention du jury au Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur, meilleur documentaire au Prix du Cinéma Suisse 2006, sélection officielle aux Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal, en compétion officielle au FIPA 2006, présentation au Centre de Culture Contemporraine de Barcelone, en compétition au DocuDays Beirut International Documentary Festival 2005. Honour Mention au FULL FRAME FEST. Best european coproduction 2006 Golden Link Award

Written and directed by FERNAND MELGAR cinematography CAMILLE COTTAGNOUD, STEFAN BOSSERT sound BLAISE GABIOUD editing KARINE SUDAN production FERNAND MELGAR, JEAN-MARC ET MATTHIEU HENCHOZ executive production  FLORENCE ADAM in coproduction with la Télévision Suisse Romande, la Télévision Suisse Italienne, entreprises SRG SSR idée suisse, Flach Film (Paris) with the support of l’Office Fédéral de la culture (DFI) Suisse, la Fondation Vaudoise pour le Cinéma, Fonds Régio Films Succès passage antenne in association with YLE TV2 documentaries with the help of Swiss-Finnish Point une initiative de Visions du Réel Nyon, Gabriela Bussmann et AVEK Helsinki, Timo Humaloja

© Climage - Les Productions JMH  2005

Festival : "Visions du Réel", Nyon, compétition internationale