A Dignified Death at the ONE WORLD HUMAN RIGHT FILM FESTIVAL in Bratislava
For the first time, A Dignified Death has been shown abroad, at the ONE WORLD HUMAN RIGHT FILM FESTIVAL in Bratislava.
In September, I received a message that my documentary was selected for the 19th edition of this festival. The programmers of the festival were enthusiastic and were willing to pay travel and accommodation costs for two people. Both Eelco's mum and sister were not able to join me on this trip, therefore, I asked Kees van Gelder to come with me, the doctor that was involved in Eelco's euthanasia. On Thursday, October 11, we left for Bratislava.
We were received with great hospitality. Everything was nicely arranged and we felt very welcome. The first screening was on Friday, October 12; the second was the day after, on Saturday. Both with a Q&A. There was enough room and time for discussion and deepening. We listened to all the stories and questions that people had. And we tried to answer them as best as we could, based upon our own experiences.
What we are told and what stood out in Bratislava
Slovakia is located at the border of the European Union (eastern border with Ukraine, western border Austria). Due to its Communist past, its meanwhile predominantly Catholic population and a rather conservative government, people from Slovakia are not used to feel in a free or individualistic manner. Moreover, there is a lot of corruption and nationalistic populism is increasing, all though not as much as in Czechia or Hungary (so far). Last February, a Slovakian journalist and his girlfriend were killed because the man was doing research on the misuse of European subsidies in East Slovakia by the Italian mafia and the possible involvement of the government. The country was shocked; it led to great protest and uprising. And today, still, there is disbelief and anger. The theme of the ONE WORLD HUMAN RIGHT FILM FESTIVAL was 'Shut Up!', an appeal to stand up. Change comes from the people, from the nation. Exactly that is what the festival aimed to emphasise.
The people we met during our stay are the people that do want change. They want to become more free, free in their thinking, in their way of life. It was very special to see and feel that they are ready to break taboos. Bratislava is a quiet and nice city. People are friendly and amiable. But while talking to them, you notice the will for change.
The film and the Q&A's
The discussions afterwards were very valuable. People from all ages and backgrounds joined us. Some of the questions were very factual, about f.e. the law, and some were aimed to draw attention to certain misunderstandings.
"Euthanasia is your way of getting rid of the elder and the sick"
Someone asked us whether it was true that we use euthanasia as a cheap solution to get rid of people that are old or ill. We were surprised by this idea; but this is apparantly how the Slovakian media has been portraying our western ideas on this matter. To us, it sounded funny, but in the end, we felt it was rather sad that this is how we are being portrayed as a country. Thankfully, Kees could easily alter this idea: "As a doctor, it is my mission to help people. I will always do whatever I can to help someone get better. However, when everything has been done and tried, and when someone's suffering is hopeless and unbearable, I will also be there for that person to help him or her to put an end to it. I will help him to die." That is the reason why we have a euthanasia law. It suits our values to in some way solve needless suffering. It is very important to realise that this is only possible if it is the patient's own wish and decision.
"Does euthanasia toerism really exist and how much does euthanasia cost?"
This was a frequently asked question. Is it possible, as a foreigner, 'to get euthanasia' in the Netherlands? For as far as we knew at that moment, it was impossible to get euthanasia as a non-Dutch citizen. The costs are reimbursed by the Dutch health insurer. However, while writing this article and after doing some research, I found out that it is a little more complicated than that. The law does not say anything about being a Dutch citizen or not. It only summons up six criteria. In theory, this means, that people from all over the EU could get euthanasia during their stay in the country. The EU law says that a EU citizen is allowed to be - medically - treated according to the law of the country that the citizen is remaining in at that moment. Nevertheless, our answer seemed quite right in the end, because there are a lot of practical impossibilities (one of the criteria f.e. is that the patient should have a long-term, consistent 'help demand') and the legislation of the land of origin may also get in the way, as for example, involvement of family and friends is seen as a crime.
What we felt was most interesting, was that there is a certain interest in this matter. The people we spoke to, both young and old, had all experienced someone in their surroundings attempting or committing suicide. Or they knew someone who suffered unbearably, without a doctor that was able to help. As far as we know, the only option for euthanasia abroad is in Swiss, but the rules are very strict and the costs are extremely high.
"Are you allowed to take someone's life, a life that is given by God?"
I think the old lady that asked me this question, moved me the most. She told us that she had a deep respect for the film that we made and she told a little bit about herself: she was religious, mother of five children, she herself had eight brothers and sisters. During her life, she had suffered from several serious depressions and fears and there were moments that she did not want to live any longer. However, her strong belief in God and the fact that her children needed her, encouraged and obliged her to stay alive. God gives life, and God takes life. Her sincerity touched everyone. Kees' respond was unifying and caused mutual understanding. "I am religious myself. I will always do what is in my power to help someone; that is my main goal in life. But, as I said before, if there is nothing I can do to better someone's life, I do not believe that God would want him to go on and suffer until the bitter end. I think God will approve, and maybe he even wants us to help. Religion and euthanasia can coexist."
The old lady seemed very satisfied with this answer. Afterwards, our host told us that this conversation was of great importance for many people, because it discusses and opens up the dilemma’s that they are struggling with every day. It shows that the discussion is not always black or white, and that opposing views are sometimes not as different as they might look.
These three questions impressed me the most. Other questions that were raised concerned, among others, what it was like for me, as a filmmaker, to be there when Eelco's life was ended. How did I deal with it? People wanted to know how long the whole euthanasia process took, from request to the actual day. What are the exact rules that come with this kind of request? How did the euthanasia law come into being? [In the Netherlands, the law was introduced in 2002. In 1973, however, the first steps towards this law were already taken. It took almost 30 years to actually be able to execute this law. This time frame ensured a lot of people at the festival that it has been a very deliberate process, and that it will take a lot of time - and hurdles - for Slovakia to reach this point.
The Director of the Festival, Diana Fabianova, who is a documentary maker herself, was also present at the second day. In 2009 she made a documentary on menstruation, which was viewed throughout the world. She is a champion of breaking taboos. She mainly focuses on the relations and patterns between men and women and free will. She strives for letting go of dogma's and stigma's. She is an inspiring woman that tries to bring change in a very positive, but also confronting way [https://dianafabianova.com].
She was very positive about the impact of the Q&A's and she suggested organising a special event, in 2019, in combination with 'A Dignified Death' and a Q&A - in line with the annual One World Human Rights Film Festival activities. She also wants to do her best to actually broadcast the film on Slovakian television, because she believes the subject deserves more attention. It would be wonderful if this documentary can contribute to some sort of change within their society, to a more free and open-minded society.
Without a doubt, A Dignified Death has had a great impact on the visitors and the organisation of the festival. It moved people and functioned as a first step towards breaking taboos. Exactly what we had in mind when making the film.
All though I never had an international ambition during the making process, I think there might be a bigger and perhaps even a more important podium in the EU for this film on euthanasia in cases of physical suffering than there is in the Netherlands.
It has been a very overwhelming first film festival experience abroad. To me, the most interesting thing was that the content, in this case human rights, was leading. In the Netherlands, human rights are almost self-evident; in Slovakia I realised that for a lot of people that is not yet the case, And that is why it is so important to invest in change and to create situations where people can speak about these difficult but essential themes. I would very much like to thank the team of the festival for having me, for their courage and their hospitality. I am looking forward to the next one....
