Today, I’m joined by filmmaker and writer Bradley Berman to discuss his most recent documentary, Jack Has A Plan. The film follows the last three years of Jack Tuller’s life and his decision to exercise his right to die with dignity.
For 25 years, Jack lived with a brain tumor and was determined to navigate the medical system, his life, and his relationships in a way that meant he didn't suffer or burden other people around him with suffering. In my conversation with Bradely, we discuss what this process was like as both a filmmaker and close friend to Jack, what he came to understand about Jack’s decision, and the empowerment that takes place for a terminal person when they decide their own destiny.
Topics Covered:
● What's being made possible through new laws that allow us to transform the experience of terminal illness
● How this film changed my perspective of The End of Life Option Act
● The resistance and discomfort that people in Jack’s life had around him making this decision
● What the public reaction to the film has been like so far
● How Bradley used the filmmaking process as a way to work through grief
Guest Info:
● Check out a screening of Jack Has A Plan at the Clarion Performing Arts Center on October 1st
Resources:
● If you're having thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, please call 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here in the United States, or connect with other hotlines and resources
● Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
● The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America by Anita Hannig
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