'Heaven on Earth' is an experimental documentary film with the aim to start a conversation on grief. It is something that many have or will go through, it sadly is part of life, but it also is something that is rarely spoken about. Many will, also, judge how a person griefs, whether they are crying enough or too much, whether they are moving on too quickly or not quickly enough. But experiencing grief is incredibly personal and no one knows how they would respond to it until they have gone through the experience.
There is a lot we do not know about what happens once a person dies. One theory that many of us have grown up with is that in the afterlife everyone lives up in the sky and loved ones get reunited, together looking down on the lives on Earth. When my grandma passed away I always thought to myself that she must be up in the clouds chatting someone's ear off about a novel she has been reading or she would be extremely engaged in a crossword, quietly mumbling to herself as she thinks of the answer.
In 'Heaven on Earth' I would like to record an old lady, dressed with angel wings and a halo, approaching strangers to her in parks. She would ask them whether they are comfortable with her sitting next to them, if they reject, she moves onto the next person. When they say 'yes' she sits next to them starts the conversation.
Illustrations to show the beginning of each interaction.
There is no further plan for this conversation as it fully depends on the participators. I am interesting in what emotions would come up and whether participators would be willing to share their experiences and feelings. As this is an experimental Documentary Film, there is not outcome that I am looking for other than to create a safe space for people to speak about grief.
The purpose is to start the conversation. The documentary will not feature any recordings of the conversations, but a response to them, as a way to respect people's stories and really speak about the importance of sharing grief, rather than directly talking about the events during grieving.