The Last Rite About the film: The Last Rite was initially conceived a year after the unexpected death of my father.  With profound sadness, I came to realize how unprepared I was for the emptiness of death. I also came to understand that much had changed in the way our society deals with death from when I was a little girl.   While growing up in an Italian-Canadian home I recall many days of prayers and home-cooked meals offered by family members, a stream of visitors at our door, nostalgic photos and half-lit candles everywhere. Now, it seems, that the orchestrated deliberations from the time of death on day one to the burial on day three, with little or no prayers, shrieks or chanting, fuels the pristine way in which we are expected to face death in the Western world.  When my father died, there was such an expedient manner in which the death was managed, almost with an eagerness to move the death out of the public eye, and rid us of our sorrow in one sweep. Comforted by friends, many of whom are from diverse backgrounds, I wanted to understand how other cultures view death, and the customs they observe when life comes to an end.  I have friends who are Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims, but I know very little about Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.  Despite my deep sense of sadness, I had many questions. Living in Canada and living in a large metropolitan city means that there are many opportunities to witness first hand the differences and similarities amongst us as Canadians.  Death as seen through the eyes of many religions is the perspective I wanted to better understand.  My intense grief started the query, that would eventually take me into mosques, ashrams and temples. The Last Rite provides an overview of how spiritual leaders accept the deaths they are called to witness each day. Thought-provoking interviews with Buddhist Masters, a Hindu Swami and Priest, and a Muslim Imam, bring a new dimension to our collective misconceptions regarding the process of death and dying.  In the end, my own grief guided the process of inquiry. Michael Marshall is a hospital Chaplain who witnesses death each day in the corridors of his workplace.  He openly questions why we do everything within our power in this society to avoid talking about death or thinking about it.   Lori Ives-Baine is a RN and a hospital Palliative Care Bereavement Coordinator, where as a nurse she has seen that not having a ritual of any kind at the time of death results in complicated health problems at a later date. In her work with bereaved families, she reminds them that when one loves, one grieves. One rarely goes without the other. Through an extensive interview with Dr. Paul Wong, an internationally renowned psychologist, professor, and cancer survivor, we hear the importance of incorporating thoughts of our own demise with certain tenets of good living, in order to maximize the quality of our days on earth.  Dr. Wong delivers with candor and good humour the seven pathways towards good living as he encourages us to face our own mortality. Death is a treasure, a gift that offers us the potential of a good life, requiring only that we take this tenet to heart.  The Last Rite challenges this notion and much more.  This documentary opens the discussion to larger questions that many of us ask each day.  The questions are many and so are the answers. About Gina Valle: I have spent the last two decades trying to understand how the human spirit, when confronted with difference – of race, religion, status, abilities – engages.  Is it with contempt and fear or an open heart and mind?  Over the years, my book, photo exhibit, research and community work have tried to understand how diversity can allow us to grow as a nation.  I strongly believe that what we have in common needs to take precedence over that which is different. We can speak of our differences, however, as a country we need to challenge ourselves to see how we are the same. My work has always centred around stories. Whether those stories are represented in print, in a photo or on the screen, I strongly believe that they are powerful ways in which to connect across our differences.  When we are confronted with a story that is different than our own, sometimes there can be a shift - in how we hear, how we see and how we think. In order for diversity to strive in Canada, we need to move beyond the rhetoric, to move beyond policies and procedures and talk to the people in our community, the people who are our neighbours and who have experiences we can all learn from.  That is what I have tried to do in The Last Rite. I hope you enjoy it. Languages: Italian and English