Welcome!
The When You Die team is thrilled to present the first film in the When You Die trilogy, In the Realm of Death & Dreaming, streaming from June 14th to June 24th, with a special LIVE Q&A on Zoom June 21st at 6pm EST. The Q&A, hosted by Director Johanna Lunn, will feature David Maginley; a 4 time cancer survivor, a recently retired hospital chaplain who spent 25 years at the bedside supporting people with cancer, and a Near Death Experiencer. The overwhelming response by people who have seen this film is that they feel more peaceful afterwards, and they are not as anxious about death.
The When You Die Project seeks to foster good conversations around death by de-mystifying the dying process. Understanding what happens when we die reduces our fear of death and helps to set the ground for healthy living, dying, and grieving. Just as the ancient contemplation of Memento Mori - remember you will die, and Memento Vivere - remember you must live - are two sides of the same coin. Learning about what happens emotionally, physically, and spiritually as we die can increase the well-being of everyone.
With insight and humor, these topics are explored with leading clinicians who have spent their careers at the bedside, researchers studying the nature of consciousness, and personal stories of love and loss. Discussing what happens when we die with curiosity and compassion allows death to become a more accessible part of life.
We believe it’s time for a death revolution and that the best way to start that revolution is simply by talking.
About the Film:
Director Johanna Lunn guides viewers on a journey to discover if consciousness continues after death by exploring personal stories of near-death experiences, deathbed visions, and more. She speaks with leading clinicians and researchers who have spent their careers studying these experiences and the nature of consciousness. Their stories are revealed with humor and compassion.
Exploring what happens after death not only helps us decide how we want to be cared for at the end of life, but it reduces our fear of death and that, as is often said, helps us live more fully.
Experts featured in the documentary: Anthony Bossis, PhD, Elly Claire Hart, PhD, Dean Radin, PhD, Penny Sartori, PhD, Peter Fenwick, MD, David Maginley, M.Div., Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, Sue Brayne, MA, Andrew Holecek, DDS, Jill Schock, MTS.
About The Director:
An award-winning producer and director, with more than 35 years of film and television experience, Johanna is using her lifelong curiosity about the death and dying process to bring documentaries about, "What happens when we die?" to life.
“At a young age I witnessed a number of significant deaths that completely cracked my world apart. Because it was taboo to talk about death at the time, I felt terribly isolated. Looking back on those experiences, and with the wisdom of having done much research on dying, I have learned that death, like birth, is one of the most extraordinary events in life, and it is critical that we learn to talk about it."
By talking about death and exploring what happens with curiosity and compassion, Johanna hopes to reduce our fear around death, making it a more accessible part of life - one movie at a time! Johanna lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband Steve and their newly adopted pup Charlie.
About David Maginley:
For 25 years, David Maginley provided psycho-spiritual care to the cancer, palliative and intensive care units of the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Now in private practice, he is the award-winning author of Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey and Early Exits: Spirituality, Mortality and Meaning in an Age of Medical Assistance in Dying. He has been featured in the documentaries Here Right Now, The When You Die Trilogy of films, and The Universe is Unfolding as it Should. David has also survived cancer four times, which resulted in a profound near-death experience and explorations in the connection of body, mind and spirit. He knows cancer from both sides of the hospital bed, and this life from both sides of the veil.
Reviews:
“I felt hopeful, encouraged and a sense of relief at the mystery, beauty, and transitions of death as described by the speakers.“
"Beautiful, skillful, deep, clear, kind, clever, obviously brilliant, and no doubt will be helpful to many people."
"The documentary validated a lot of what I have been studying as a clinician and an End of Life Doula.”
“Our deathcare community greatly appreciated the opportunity to view this incredible film to discuss the mysteries and wonderment of living as mortals”
“Wow! Thank you for easing my fear of death.”
"This film made me feel death does not need to be feared."
For more information about the film, and the When You Die project, please visit our website and follow us on Social Media:
