
From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America
- Maxwell Schweik, Alyssa Beebe, Chess Cabrera, Reed Freedman, Mikayla Hall
- Documentary, social justice, Environmental, Student
- January 2, 2024
- English
- 2024
- United States
Synopsis
“From Earth to Earth” takes a critical look at the rituals dictated by America’s death-denying culture and asks, “how can people trying to cope with the death of a loved one be better served?” Our documentary takes the viewer deep into the woods of Vermont and the meadows of central New York where deathwork pioneers are inspiring a new way of thinking about life, death, and our enduring connection to nature. Along the way, we explore the systematic problems of the death industry and provide insight into alternative paths for returning our bodies to the embrace of the Earth. You will meet traditional morticians, advocates of natural burial, people dealing with the death of loved ones, and Vermont’s very own “tiny death witch.” Along the way, you will discover a whole new approach to burial, funerals, and life itself.