"Old age is unavoidable; death is unavoidable. Suffering is not." According to author and end-of-life activist Jackie Jencquel, aging is an incurable illness. She septuagenarian causes shock and debate when she announces her intention to die, not because she is terminally ill but because she refuses to live beyond a certain age. She announces her death date in the hopes that her decision will prompt changes in French law and give others the choice to die, based on a personal decision versus a diagnosis. An unconventional conversation that goes beyond the sensational soundbites and focuses more on the why than the when, Jackie and her filmmaker son record her last words concerning individual liberty, desire, autonomy, vanity and money. Whether you agree or disagree, whether you love or loathe Jackie, she raises crucial points about self-determination and aging that are worth deeper discussion – a person’s right to choose and specifically a woman's right to make autonomous decisions about her own body throughout her life. Angie Driscoll
Streaming online May 5-9. Streaming only available in Canada.