How to Die in Oregon - 1217 Words

How to Die in Oregon Portland, USA, 107 Min., 3/13/12 9PM (Watched online) How to Die in Oregon is an emotionally charged, and intimate exploration of the controversial â€Å"Death with Dignity† Law passed in the state of Oregon in 1994. How to Die in Oregon received the Grand Jury Prize in the U. S. Documentary Competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, along with other countless accolades, and is currently available as an HBO Original Film. In his film, filmmaker Peter Richardson, employs the observational mode of documentary to witness how patients families and friends grapple with the legal option of physician assisted suicide. In exploring the complexities surrounding this topic, Richardson interviews doctors on both sides of†¦show more content†¦Richardson produced, directed and captured all the footage himself. The end result is a multitude of powerful one-on-one interviews, archival footage of patients, and candid long takes. Richardson cuts himself out of the interviews , and edits together strikingly frank sound bytes to showcase his subjects talking about death and the affect of the law. His use of archival footage primarily captures his patients when they were healthy, and provides a striking contrast as they seriously discuss death towards the end of their lives. His use of candid long takes captures some of the most poignant moments of the film, including the final minutes of one man’s life after taking the lethal drugs. The camera is a spectator in the room, as the man accompanied by his family; all face his personal decision to die together. All of these different footage types work together to provide emotional weight to an already troubling subject. 2) Richardson’s non-interventionist style is a prime example of observational documentary, and works specifically well in capturing and promulgating the subject of death. According to Nichols, observational documentaries started appearing in the 1960’s as result of more mobile and smaller equipment. Furthermore, observational documentary stresses non-intervention, as filmmakers objectively observe indirect speech, candidness in the form of long takes, and create a world out of historical reality not fabricated withShow MoreRelatedThe United States Of America1536 Words   |  7 PagesSupreme Court case Gonzales v. Oregon challenged the law on the assumption that if a human being has the right to live and it must also have the right to die. A modern day Constitutional issue in whether a person has the right to die arose within the last couple of decades in the state of Oregon. The first State in the United States of America to enact legislation allowing physician-assisted suicide under nearly any circumstances was Oregon. (How the Right to Die Came to America - National CenterRead MoreHuman Beings Are Born With Inalienable Rights Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesGhent English Composition 1 November 30, 2016 The Right to Die Human beings are born with inalienable rights; rights in which cannot be separated from a person. One is born with the right to liberty, the pursuit of happiness and most importantly life. It is only human nature that with the gift of life comes death. Human beings were born with the right to live; however, they were not born with the right to die. All human beings will die when their time comes, but when exactly will that be? The answerRead More Euthanasia Essay - Assisted Suicide and the Supreme Court1540 Words   |  7 Pageshighest court declared that U.S. citizens are not constitutionally guaranteed the right to a physician-assisted suicide, the movement has sort of lost its steam. Why do the Supreme Court Justices consider legalization dangerous? How did it win legislative approval in Oregon in the first place? What is the current trend in public opinion about this question? This essay will delve into these questions. After the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a crushing blow to the assisted suicide movement, time stoppedRead MoreThe Death Of The Terminally Ill Accessible997 Words   |  4 PagesAfter years of fighting for someone, somewhere in the United States , recognized the right to practice euthanasia in Oregon, it was held the first legal assisted suicide in the history of this country. An elderly, over 80 years with breast cancer and a life expectancy of only two months , died yesterday , quietly , at his home in Oregon, half an hour after ingesting a lethal dose mixed with candies and brandy barbiturates. Compassion in Dying, a supporter group to make a dignified death for the terminallyRead MoreEuthanasia Essay1508 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia: The Liberty to Die With Dignity The Pro-Life Alliance defines Euthanasia as: â€Å"Any action or omission intended to end the life of a patient on the grounds that his or her life is not worth living.† (ProCon.org). So the question stands, should an individual who is terminally ill, is in unbearable pain, can no longer function independently, who feels their life is so intolerable that it is no longer worth living, and who is of sound mind, be permitted the right to end their own life? CanadaRead MoreEuthanasi A Gentle And Easy Death1240 Words   |  5 PagesI. Intro A. How can we limit our freedom as an individual by not permitting people to die when it is their right and life? B. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Euthanasia is â€Å"a gentle and easy death.† 1. Euthanasia is not suicide. Suicide is taking one’s own life because one does not want to live C. Today, I will go over the countries and states that allow Euthanasia, the types of Euthanasia and conditions that patients need to be under to pursue euthanasia, and if it is our rights toRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Practiced?1622 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia means the action of taking the life of another person at their own request. It is often referred to as â€Å"life-terminating treatment†. This can either be passive or active. Passive euthanasia allows one to die by holding back or withdrawing life supporting means. Active euthanasia is often referred to as â€Å"mercy killing†. This is the deliberate killing of a patient with their voluntary consent, without their consent when impossible, or without their consent but not sought. Euthanasia shouldRead MoreThe Death With Dignity Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pages1997 Oregon passed the Physical Assisted Suicide (PAS) called the Death with Dignity. PAS would provide terminal ill patients who desired to end thei r life with access to a lethal dose of medication. In order for a patient to get access to the lethal dose of medicine in Oregon: they must be 18 years or older, able to understand, verbalize the consequences, and be a resident of the state. Terminal ill patients have been medically diagnosed of living six month or less. If a patient in Oregon wantsRead MoreArgumentative Speech Outline : Legalization Of Euthanasia1379 Words   |  6 Pages 1) people should have the right to choose, 2) it helps save lives through organ donation, and 3) it can be regulated. Introduction According to the British court, â€Å"there is no defense, Euthanasia is murder.† Euthanasia is legal in Washington, Oregon, California, Vermont, and Bernalillo County, New Mexico; its status is disputed in Montana. This method is used for terminal patients who have exhausted all other options. Society finds this topic to be very controversial. Some people feel that euthanasiaRead MoreEssay On Death With Dignity Act1398 Words   |  6 PagesFurthermore, there is one specific state that has approved this assistance with a few regulations in mind. The State of Oregon, which also happens to have been the first state in the United States to legalize a death with dignity act. The very first act that they made was on November 8th, 1994, but as all other cases do, it contained specific requirements from The State of Oregon for patients who wished to participate. They state only permitted patients who had a terminal illness. Specifically an