A Family Undertaking
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Elizabeth Westrate
Keith Carr
Brad Bergbom
Doug Dunderdale
Mike Dunn
Tom Efinger
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
A documentary which opens a window onto a compelling new trend in America's treatment of death: the home funeral. Prior to the 20th century, caring for the dead in our country fell to family and friends. The rise of the more institutional, 'sanitized' funeral has over time served to alienate Americans from one of the most basic facts of life. Home funeral advocates the belief that following death, close contact with the body, even for children, has been shown to help with the grieving process. Filmed across the country, the chronicle intimately follows several diverse families as they forego a typical mortuary funeral and care for their loved ones at home. The camera also ventures behind closed doors into the world of the American funeral industry, to shed light upon some of the tricks of the trade.
