Tuesday 14 June 2011, 10:56
Two years ago I directed Terry Pratchett: Living with Alzheimer's for BBC Two, following the author on and off for a year to document his early days with Alzheimer's.
By the end of it Terry and I knew each other well and I had won his trust.
We seem to know instinctively what the other is thinking at any one time. He needs the minimum of guidance, so my role in filming Choosing To Die was often just to capture what he was experiencing.
Terry Pratchett
He is brilliant at wrestling with the moral conundrums that the subject throws up - not least because he is genuinely considering some form of assisted death for himself.
But I was still surprised at how emotional he found the experience of making this film.
I had never seen him cry until we went to Switzerland.
We knew that if we wanted this film to be entirely honest about assisted dying then it was important to show the whole process, including the death itself.
When Peter, the man who dies on-camera in the film, agreed to let us record his end, the challenge was to film it respectfully, sensitively, but most of all truthfully.
We don't romanticise it - there could be no fade to black before he drank the poison.
It is up to you to decide whether his last moments are deeply moving, distressing, or rather ordinary.
I suspect it is a little bit of each of these and, depending on your own family's experiences, so much more.
Helping someone have an assisted death is still technically illegal, so we were very careful to make sure that we were there purely as impartial observers.
We didn't break the law, though it was impossible not to feel a deep connection with Peter and his wife - and for Andrew and his mother, who also journeyed to Dignitas.
Everyone involved in the production, no matter what their views on legalising assisted dying, has been profoundly affected by the experience.
I hope that you are too.
Charlie Russell is the director and producer of Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die.
Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die is available in iPlayer until Monday, 20 June.
Choosing To Die: A Newsnight debate with Terry Pratchett and Jeremy Paxman is also available in iPlayer until Monday, 20 June.
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Friday 10 June 2011, 10:03
Monday 20 June 2011, 09:43
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Comment number 1.
Keith C Balding14th June 2011 - 12:27
Thank you Charlie Russell and thank you Sir Terry. I find it hard to keep writing about my own experience of Dignitas so if I may, I'll just post a copy of the letter which I sent to them after seeing your Television programme.
Dear People At Dignitas,
I have just watched a programme on BBC television, made by Sir Terry Pratchett and I want to say "Thank you" again to all of you.
Ivan came to you for help and you did not refuse him. At that time, back in December 2008 you did not have the little blue house - but for Ivan that didn't matter. I saw Erika and I remember her kindness (she gave me a hug afterwards). His death was more difficult than usual because he needed to be given the drug intravenously and all did not go to plan.
But Ivan got what he wanted, with your help and I know that he would want me to thank you and to remind you of the kindness and the good work which you do.
The past two years have been very very hard for me and of course I still miss him terribly. But seeing another man and his wife go through with this has helped me. In a strange way I found it a comfort - when I didn't expect that.
One day, maybe, we will be able to make a choice about the time of our death in our own country. This would be my hope. Until then I will ALWAYS be grateful to you and to the people of Switzerland for helping. I understand that it is still controversial in your country too - but the difference is that there are enough people there who think that this is a reasonable choice to be able to make.
Thank you again,
Yours faithfully and with gratitude,
Keith C Balding.
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Comment number 2.
Caringscot14th June 2011 - 12:35
I think the BBC have done well to bring this issue to the fore. In amongst the roots of society where I spend most of my time, there is a common desire for something to be done about giving people more control over what happens to them as they approach death. The more discussion and enlightenment on how things are done now compared to how they might be done better in the future, can only help.
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Comment number 3.
Beth14th June 2011 - 13:06
This was an excellent programme and it is good that at last someone is supporting those of us who want the Human Rights Act to be used to support our right to die in the comfort of our own country, if not in the comfort of our own homes, when we choose to.
I hope that Politicians and others who think that they should determine our right to die and not allow us the same freedom, will think again.
I hope that this programme will lead to a huge campaign.
Well done Terry Pratchett, the whole team and the BBC.
Link to this (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
cissy14th June 2011 - 13:21
People have a choice to live or die, and i work in a nursing home at the end of life I dont think that the elderly people Ive looked after wants to live like a cabbage and loose their dignity that someone has to clean them, dressed them, bathed them. But they have no choice, Vulnerble peolple with have a long term illness should not suffer. If Im in the situation like the people in documentary I would end my life in switzerland and I am sure my family that i will left behind will understand the situation.
Link to this (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
cissy14th June 2011 - 13:54
It is very interesting documentary of Sir Terry, its very sad. I think that we should respect the choice of those people that wanted to end their life because of the long term illness, If Im in the situation like one of those people in documentary I would not want to live in a nursing home, loosing my dignity and suffer.
Thats all I can comment
Thank you very much for this documentary.
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Comments 5 of 80