Is it ever rational to choose death? On Independence Day at Stern Ranch, 77-year-old solar energy pioneer Bob Stern finds out he’s seriously ill – possibly dying. Meanwhile, an elderly in-law is dying on artificial life support. Bob decides to cheat that fate and take his own life. His family tries to stop him. Bob sets up a video camera. Daughter Susan Stern explores “rational suicide,” the “right-to-die” and the difficult end-of-life choices faced by an aging population.
AWARDS
- Two national Emmy nominations, for writing and for documentary
- Duke University Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award
- CINE Gold Eagle for film excellence
- Video Librarian, “Best Documentaries.”
SCREENINGS
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; Full Frame Documentary Film Festival; Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal; SXSW Film Festival; Seoul Independent Documentary Festival; AFI/Discovery Channel SILVERDOCS Film Festival. Debuted on PBS and broadcast in Europe and the Middle East.