Welcome!
The When You Die team is thrilled to present the second film in the When You Die trilogy, Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death, streaming from October 6th to October 20th, with a special LIVE conversation and Q&A on Zoom October 19th at 6pm EST. The Q&A, hosted by Director Johanna Lunn, will feature special guest Suzanne B. O’Brien RN; the Founder & CEO of Doulagivers Institute, and the author of the International Bestselling Book "THE GOOD DEATH: A Guide For Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life."
The overwhelming response by people who have seen this film is not only that they feel more peaceful afterwards, but that it helps them to start that conversation with their loved ones. Knowing what we want at the end, can help us live a fuller life.
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 hospice care, and personal stories of love and loss. Discussing what happens when we die with curiosity and compassion allows death to become a more natural 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 narrates this second chapter in the When You Die trilogy, which addresses our mortality head on. She guides viewers through fear and into honest conversations about the questions most of us avoid: What is a good death? Could we possibly heal old emotional wounds as death approaches? Where do we want to die? What quality of life is enough for us? What is a conscious death? Could we have one?
As hard as it is to believe, we know, in the depths of our being, death will come – either through a diagnosis, or from a sudden accident. Don’t wait until you’re in crisis to decide how you want to be cared for. Difficult as it is, making decisions now about what we want when facing the inevitable, is a great kindness to yourself, and to your loved ones.
Experts featured in the documentary: Rev. David Maginley, M.Div; Dr. Laurie Mallery, MD; Dr. Paige Moorhouse, MD; Dr. Penny Sartori, PhD; Dr. Peter Fenwick, MD; Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson, MD; Sue Brayne, MA; Dr. Anthony Bossis, PhD; Dr. Andrew Holecek, DDS; Rev. Olivia Bareham; Jill Schock, MTS; Julie McFadden, RN
About The Director:
Award-winning producer, director, and writer Johanna Lunn has contributed to many compelling, entertaining, and profoundly thought-provoking programs during her 35+ years in the business. In addition to film festival awards, her work has received eight Gemini (aka Canadian Screen Award) nominations and won three. She has also produced or directed films for the National Film Board of Canada, CTV, IFC Canada, Sky TV, BOS, Yle, Netflix, and the W Network. Her work has been shown around the world. Johanna is the co-founder of the When You Die Project, which includes a resource rich website - WhenYouDie.org - with podcasts, stories, and an award winning documentary trilogy.
“Starting when I was nineteen, I experienced three significant deaths that completely cracked my world apart - my mother, my best friend and a stranger who died in in front of me - all in less than three years. At that time, people around me either struggled to connect with me, or avoided me completely and I felt profoundly alone. Looking back on those experiences with the wisdom of time and having done a great deal of research on dying, I have learned that death, like birth, is one of the most extraordinary events in a human life, and that it is critical that we learn to talk about it.”
Johanna believes that understanding what happens when we die reduces our fear of death and helps to set the ground for healthy living, dying, and grieving. She lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband Steve and their frisky rescue pup Charlie.
About Suzanne B. O’Brien RN:
Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN is the Founder & CEO of Doulagivers Institute. She is the author of the International Bestselling Book THE GOOD DEATH: A Guide For Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life (Little Brown Spark, March 2025). Her life's mission is to increase access to high quality end of life education and care for patients and families throughout the world. She has developed free resources and training for family caregivers and practitioners from her firsthand experience as a hospice and oncology nurse, and palliative care professional at the bedsides of more than 1,000 end of life patients.
Suzanne has been awarded “Worldwide Leader in Healthcare” by the International Nurses Association for creating Doulagivers Institute and was named ”Humanitarian Ambassador for Oprah Magazine in 2019” for her work to bring peace and comfort to those facing the end of life around the world. She is also a founding member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s End of Life Doula Council and a founding member and Former VP of the National End of Life Doula Alliance. Her work has been featured in TIME, Oprah Daily, NYT, Psychology Today, AARP, NBC NEWS DAILY, CNBC, Parade Magazine, and Katie Couric Media and more!
Suzanne has been passionate about bringing back the awareness that ”death is not a medical experience- it’s a human one”. She has taught the skill of how to care for someone who is dying (Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Family Caregiver Training) to over 369,000 worldwide and has now made the Level 1 available in 15 languages.
Where to find Suzanne:
Reviews:
“his film is so very meaningful, especially as one finds oneself aging. I am making this part of life my personal exploration.”
“The film gave me many things to think about. End of life energy work. Living funerals. Death midwifes. I am more aware of options and resources than I was before. I am 52 years old and very healthy, but this information and perspective is beautiful. What a great discussion. Beautiful film.”
"I was not afraid of dying before I saw this film but seeing this added a whole other level of comfort.”
“It is a comfort to see experts that are doing the right thing, and studying how to die. I learned a lot.”
“It gave me faith and hope. Gives me peace.”
“I felt the film to be very educational but from such a compassionate perspective. I think this would be a wonderful film to show both families and those working in death care to help create that understanding and compassion of the dying process.”
"This film made me feel death does not need to be feared. It gave me knowledge and makes me want to explore a 'good death'. To be prepared for my own death. It has given me a gift.
For more information about the film, and the When You Die project, please visit our website and follow us on Social Media:
