Natalie Eskenazy is an end-of-life doula – a nonmedical professional who cares for the terminally ill as they approach death. In this short film from the Canadian director Robin McKenna, Eskenazy recounts how the death of her beloved sister Annie Eskenazy, who struggled with mental illness and sometimes went missing, led her to her work. Layering photos of the sisters with evocative illustrations and animations, McKenna’s film is a moving reflection on the meaning of being there for someone as they die.
How an end-of-life doula found her vocation as a companion for the dying

videoAgeing and death
Demystifying death – a palliative care specialist’s practical guide to life’s end
4 minutes

videoAnimals and humans
‘When it comes to the end, we all want the same things.’ Why animals need a good death
15 minutes

videoMeaning and the good life
What a ‘good death’ can look like, in the quiet company of a compassionate stranger
18 minutes

videoBioethics
What it’s like to stand by your daughter in her choice to die
18 minutes

videoDeath
A moving argument for one woman’s right to choose when and how she dies
3 minutes

videoMood and emotion
A dreamy animated tale of grief, friendship and a road trip to David Hockney’s house
3 minutes

videoAnthropology
A riveting collage portrays a century of Inuit history, and envisions a vibrant future
14 minutes

videoBiography and memoir
As her world unravels, Pilar wonders at the ‘sacred geometry’ that gives it structure
20 minutes

videoMood and emotion
‘Let me dream you into my reality’: memories illuminate an unthinkable isolation
12 minutes