Cinema to show palliative care doco

THE stories of people experiencing end-of-life care will be in the spotlight at Regent Cinemas later this month.

Live the life you please is a documentary directed by Mike Hill and will be screened three times during Palliative Care Week with 50 per cent of each $20 ticket sale donated to Ballarat Hospice Care.

Hill said the 90-minute feature, which was produced over two years, includes 12 stories from capital cities, regional centres, and remote areas.

“The subject is a tough one, but the film itself is actually incredibly beautiful, joyful and inspiring,” he said.

“There are laugh-out-loud moments, because it’s about the truth of the subject matter. We all know we’re not immortal and that at some point, the end of our lives will come, and it will for our loved ones as well.

“In Australia, we have a huge problem because we don’t talk about this subject enough.

“We end up with people spending their last days in ambulances, in emergency departments and the ICU when they may not have made that choice if they put their minds to it.

“This is a safe space for us to talk about that. It helps us reflect as a community about what we really value, and that’s what people will get by going along.

“It’s particularly pertinent in regional areas where there’s less access to these types of services that can make that last chapter of life a really good one.”

Ballarat Hospice Care CEO Andrew Howard said he encourages people to engage with the documentary and its themes to gain a stronger grasp of what palliative care is.

“We know there are misunderstandings about palliative care,” he said.

“By coming along people will increase their understanding and awareness, and importantly they will be supporting Ballarat Hospice Care, our local community palliative care service that supports people in their homes to experience the highest quality of life possible at end of life in the Ballarat and district area.

“Their stories are deeply moving and they will stay with you.”

A screening co-hosted by Ballarat Hospice Care will be held on Thursday, 25 May at 6.30pm.

Hill said being a part of National Palliative Care Week by attending the film, and supporting Hospice, is “strengthening the movement.”

“Just talking about it more and getting it out into the public domain in this way is a real positive, and that’s why we’re doing it, and asking people to come along and see it in the cinemas, rather than waiting for it down the track,” he said.

The film will also be shown on Saturday, 27 and Sunday, 28 May at 4pm. Tickets are available at the box office, or from the Ballarat Hospice Care’s Palliative Care Hub at 1836 Sturt Steet in Alfredton.