The moving film Here Awhile, which follows a young woman dying of cancer as she moves to Portland, Oregon, to access the state’s Death With Dignity Act, will be released on streaming and on-demand services June 9.
Here Awhile recently won Best Narrative Film Feature at the Omaha Film Festival and stars actor Anna Camp, often known for her role in the HBO drama True Blood. Camp, who appears in the Winter 2020 issue of Compassion & Choices Magazine, spoke to us about her feelings around the project. “When you get to bring a voice to someone who’s fighting for their right to use the Death With Dignity Act in a state that doesn’t allow it, I feel that movies and TV shows like this can get the word out,” she says. “No one should be forced to suffer. To have a method like this, to die at your own pace and to have control at a time in your life when you feel like everything is out of your control, there’s no greater gift than that because we do only get one life. I just hope that people see this film and are moved by it.”
Compassion & Choices President and CEO Kim Callinan was invited to review the script, visit the set and preview the movie. “It’s compelling, engaging and thought-provoking. The acting by Anna and the entire cast is superb,” she said. The project also led to the film’s executive producer and writer, Dr. Csaba Mera, signing on as a volunteer for Compassion & Choices, collaborating with staff on a variety of projects.
Notes a review from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, “The film Here Awhile is an adept look at the shock of death, not just from the finality of it, but the preparation for it which most younger people give little to no thought about in their day-to-day lives.”
Use our guide to host a Here Awhile Discussion Party! We give you everything you need to get started: how to organize the event, where to stream it and questions for discussion. Stream “Here Awhile“ on iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Prime and Xbox today!
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