When I Die

An inspiring film about death. Set in the rural Ottawa Valley, WHEN I DIE is the story of six women who, on learning the shocking news that their 38-year-old friend Sabrina is critically ill, are given by her the ultimate responsibility: to take care of her body in her home when she dies, for three days, and arrange her backyard funeral and green burial. Fearing it will all go sideways, what surprises them is not just how simple it is, but how much healing takes place as they tend to her body and offer their final acts of love. Megan, one of those women, is so moved by the powerful experience that she resolves to take on the challenge of making at-home deathcare and green burial accessible to all.

This story intersects climate justice with social justice as it demonstrates the power of women-led leadership facing oppressive systems. This example of communal evolution seeds a vision of a just climate, spotlighting the strength and resilience of a handful of women who build a more equitable and humane future through their loving actions for their community, place and future generations.

Megan’s quest to establish a local green cemetery and raise awareness about deathcare in the Ottawa Valley, is being documented observationally. The story of Sabrina’s deathcare, backyard funeral and green burial, is re-told by the women who cared for her – in interviews during women’s circles, accompanied by intimate, dream-like re-created scenes and stop-motion animated sequences made by Megan, the protagonist, in collaboration with animator bekky O'Neil. By the end of the film, Megan feels bittersweet about her accomplishment, and is so burnt out from navigating bureaucracy that she takes a step back to make more room in her life for art. Her stop motion animation is a continuation of her healing journey.

This project is being made in strong connection to community, including the women who cared for Sabrina, the green burial co-op that Megan founded, and the greater local death positive community.