by Austin Salt-Cowell September 2020
This short documentary (18 minutes) explores the unconventional yet supportive role of a Death Cafe, where srangers meet to discuss all matters of life and death. We join the Christchurch Death Cafe and meet some of the participants who share their experiences and perspectives on the subject.
Covid had a direct impact on our willingness to talk about death
"Shifting Death Cafe into virtual mode has worked well for my community. There have been some unexpected bonuses. For instance people are no longer limited by location and we’ve had participants from other cities, even other countries such as Australia and Russia.
The virtual cafe is so popular that Im hosting twice as many gatherings as previously, i.e. every two weeks rather than every month. I think the pandemic has heightened death awareness for everyone."
Part of an email conversation I had with Austin (the documentary maker) at the time on how Covid had a direct impact on the number of people wanting to join in death conversations.
Death Cafē, the documentary is listed on IMDB - but not currently not available online for viewing. www.imdb.com/title/tt12396868/
Come to a Death Cafē
I host regular Death Cafēs in Christchurch throughout the year from February to December. They are always offered free of charge to the community, however due to their increasing popularity there is always a waiting list for seats. Book early and be prepared to go on the waiting list - people's plans often change at the last minute.
More information about Death Cafe, upcoming events, reservations. link to https://www.meetup.com/christchurchdeathcafe/
You can also book me to host a guided conversation about life+death in the workplace
(link to Work With Me)
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