The Facts of Death - Part 2 of 6

What happens when you die? Not to your soul, but to your body. Everyone has been to a funeral, but how did the dear departed get there and where does she go? I produced, directed, and wrote this one-hour documentary that aired on PBS stations around 1993. The spine of the show is following a person through the process from the time she is picked up by the funeral directors, to embalming, to getting her prepared for the funeral, the funeral, and the burial. Along the way we hear from funeral directors, historians, and experts on death and dying from around the country.

[@GooglFascists]

Good business to be in and VERY LUCRATIVE. Plus THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF "CUSTOMERS".

[@eaglewheels1995]

knock knock Who is it? The Funeral Home..we are here to pick up the stiff!

[@Themoniquegut]

His vest totaly matches the chair @ the end of the video

[@Wistful77]

An honorable profession, soon to become impersonal. SERCO owns and operates most services, these days. In the UK and US they own more and more services. In future, there will be no 'private business', all commerce and service will be handled by those detached corporations like SERCO, providing themselves with 'a piece of the action' [middlemen] Go ogle SERCO for more info on what they've got their hands on/in.

[@Akula114]

I think this is a wonderfully done production. The lighting is pleasant, there is humor, balancing the "dark" side of the subject. While I am personally conflicted about the direction the mortuary practices may have taken in the past hundred years or so in America, I think this video series presents a respectful view of how funeral directors aid people at the most painful moments of their lives... that moment of losing a loved one and the guilt, grief and sense of loss that remains. Great job.

[@Hairmetallurgist]

Filthy funeral directors are out there, just as there are corrupt legal professionals, unhygienic physicians or unscrupulous retailers. Funeral professionals are, for the most part, invested in their communities and most are professional and friendly. It's a business, so money is an aspect, but not the ONLY aspect. Our prep room is VERY respectful. My preceptor instilled this into me: "treat every deceased as if it were your family."

[@GooglFascists]

I'm from West Virginia and there are many small family burial grounds up in the mountains. Most times its impossible to get machinery between graves to dig. Every funeral director has men "on call" who are experts at digging neat graves near huge trees with roots, on hillsides and next to almost inaccessible older gravestones. A good grave digger is an artist with the shovel and appreciated by the community. Many people also want a hand-dug grave rather than one dug by a machine.

[@DjinHeca]

If everyone shared your opinion and fear of death, we would have a major problem at hand. You should thank those who have the desire to handle and prepare the remains and orchestrate the ceremony so that the family and friends can pay their respect and begin their mourning.

[@68buickwildcat]

Well we all will die, eventually. But today is for living! So live each day with zest in your heart. We never know when it's 'our time'. I am grateful for those in the funeral service, they do what has to be done and do it with grace and dignity.

[@avonee1976]

This was VERY interesting. I wanted to attend mortuary school when I was younger. This was very informative, sensitive, and very well done.

[@KnoxBlondie]

I think it's a very dignified profession and serves the families well. I wish I had known enough about it to have chosen it as a career.

[@Inediblehulk]

"Service Corporation International"? Somebody actually thought that sounded like a funeral home name, then someone else agreed?

[@TriggerTravels]

The funeral industry is pretty filthy.....It's allllll about the money.....no respect in the prep room either

[@XXUtterNutterXX]

Death is just a part of living. These people aren't weird or creepy, they just do the job that needs to be done.

[@Inediblehulk]

Like any industry, you'll have good people and bad people. The bad ones tend to make the news more, that's all.

[@Skycop51]

what I have seen is not what you say at all. Everyone is going to face this.

[@nicole8785]

Beautifully done. Informative and wonderful I

[@Hispanicauzinpanic]

I wonder if I could make money doing hand dug burial into the ground instead of a machine? what do you think?

[@maryhamm3744]

Dan Ramos that’s really hard work

[@goodoldbill]

Creepy as heck but interesting

[@mrsclmyers]

How did I get here?

[@Sylvael2002]

Charming.