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EN
Opinion: Something is missing from movies about medical aid in dying
['Anna Magdalena Elsner', 'Vanessa Rampton', 'Rebecca Myerson', 'Allison Espeseth', 'Laura Dague', 'Krutika Kuppalli', 'Placide Mbala', 'David J. Hunter', 'Daniel Jernigan', 'Frances Mei Hardin']
STAT
Set in a fictional New York prior to the legalization of medical aid in dying, assisted death is framed positively, with Martha’s decision to die an act of dignity and self-determination.
It even surfaced in legislative debates in Uruguay during parliamentary discussions that ultimately legalized assisted dying in that country in October 2025.
Reid Davenport’s recent documentary “Life After” (2025) tells a story of how ableist prejudices inform how society debates and regulates assisted dying.
She is the principal investigator of Assisted Lab, a European Research Council research project on the aesthetics, laws, and ethics of assisted dying.
Their book “Assisted Dying: Law, Ethics, and Aesthetics” will be published by Cambridge University Press later this year.