Elisabeth Kbler-Ross: Facint Death

Elisabeth Kbler-Ross: Facint Death

First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Fl, Brooklyn, NY 11201. 98 minutes, color.
a film by Stefan Haupt. 2002.

This informative biographic video of Elisabeth Kbler-Ross surveys the scholar's life and career in the study of death from the curious perspective near the end of Kbler-Ross' own life. Born in 1926 as a two-pound triplet, Kblier-Ross spent her childhood as a small, frail and sickly child. Always bright and inquisitive it was clear she would follow a scholarly path from early in her life. An accomplished and gifted physician, she is best know for the masterwork, On Death and Dying published in 1969. Her study of dying adults and children practically inaugurated a new field of medical inquiry. In it, Kbler-Ross is able to meld the precise mind of a scientist with the sensitivity and compassion of a good therapist. We are frequently reminded of the good and loving work with children Kbler-Ross performed, which was enhanced by the success of her book. Unfortunately the video Haupt directs is broad and unwieldy documenting much irrelevant biographical information and occasionally interviews with family and associates of Kbler-Ross that offer little insight. It is not that there is a lack of interesting information presented, but that there is simply too much and much of it is unfocused. The director was unable to get any interviews with Kbler-Ross' children, a problem which seriously detracts from the story of an extremely driven professional who left her family to pursue her life's work.

In the 1970s, as a result of her fame, Kbler-Ross was contacted and worked with a bogus group who claimed to make communication with the departed. Despite much dissuading from her friends and colleagues, Kbler-Ross pursued this relationship and established therapy and seminars within the new age compound. Kbler-Ross moved to Virginia in 1984 and built a home and working farm to continue her studies. As AIDS began to make its tragic impact in the United States, Kbler-Ross proposed to build a hospice for babies with AIDS. The local rural Virginian population did not take kindly to this idea at all, and the plans were dropped after much fighting. In 1994, arsonists burned her home, possibly as a reaction to AIDS hospice plans. She wanted to rebuild immediately, but on the insistence of her son, Kbler-Ross relocated to a secluded ranch outside Phoenix. She is still there and lives in seclusion and disability following a series of strokes. Facing Death attempts to portray her struggle to deal with the issues and difficulties of dying. It is an intriguing subject for a documentary, but Haupt's treatment relies more on the life and work of Kbler-Ross than with the complicated matters suggested in the title. Near the end of this 98-minute film we get a glimpse of the realities and daily struggles of Kbler-Ross, but there is not enough to sustain a feature length documentary.

The production values of this video are high. The color and lighting are adequate and the reproduction of black and white photographs are clear. The original musical score is clear and voice over narration is distinct and understandable. Many of the interviews are in German and subtitled in English. The white subtitles are occasionally difficult to read. This video would be useful for community colleges with curriculum in death and dying studies, or women's studies. The content is much more biographical than it is scholarly. (Reviewed by Stephen Brantley, Assistant Reference Librarian, University of Illinois at Chicago Daley Library)

Keywords: Death

040610
BK041223

Copyright © 2004 - The University of Illinois at Chicago. All materials in the journal are subject to copyright by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and may be reprinted or redistributed for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting, redistribution, or translation, address requests to H. Robert Malinowsky, University of Illinois at Chicago Library, PO Box 8198, Chicago, IL 60680 or electronically to hrm@uic.edu.

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .