Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die
Encyclopedia
Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die is a 2011 one-off television documentary
produced by KEO North for BBC Scotland
on the subject of assisted suicide
, directed and produced by Charlie Russell. The film is presented by Terry Pratchett
and features Peter Smedley, a 71-year-old motor neurone disease
sufferer taking a lethal dose of the barbiturate
Nembutal
at a Swiss assisted dying organisation Dignitas.
who decided to commit suicide in 2008 after developing Alzheimer's disease
.
Pratchett also meets Mick Gordelier, a retired London taxi driver and a motor neurone disease
sufferer who chose to stay in the UK, preferring to be cared for in a hospice
. After that, the novelist visits Andrew Colgan, a 42-year-old multiple sclerosis
sufferer; Colgan, like Peter Smedley, decided to go to Dignitas to take his life. Pratchett then travels to Switzerland to accompany the Smedleys and meets with Ludwig Minelli
, the founder of Dignitas; during the final scene of the film he witnesses the death of Smedley who was kept company by his wife Christine and two Dignitas staff.
, Wiltshire
. The interview with the Smedleys' was filmed at their mansion in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey
with the Swiss part being shot in Zurich
; the final scene took place on 10 December 2010 in Blue Oasis, Dignitas's two-storey house located in an industrial estate east of the city.
The executive producers of the film were Sam Anthony for the BBC and Craig Hunter for KEO North; Charlotte Moore took the role of the commissioning editor.
documentary programme on BBC Two
television channel on 13 June, attaining 1.6 million viewers (6.7% of the total British audience); a following Newsnight
debate on the film which represented both supporters and opponents of assisted suicide drew 1.1 million (5.6%).
Critics claim that it was the first film showing an on-screen death by euthanasia aired on terrestrial television; previously, in December 2008, a satellite television channel Sky Real Lives showed assisted suicide of a retired university professor Craig Ewert, who suffered from motor neurone disease, performed at the same Dignitas clinic.
An official North American première of the film was held during the North American Discworld Convention
2011 taking place from 8-11 July in Madison, Wisconsin
.
, whose spokeswoman, Alistair Thompson, described it as a "pro-assisted suicide propaganda loosely dressed up as a documentary"; its campaign director Peter Saunders stated that the film is a "disgraceful use of licence-payers' money and further evidence of a blatant campaigning stance". Michael Nazir-Ali
, a former bishop of the Church of England
, added that it "glorified suicide and indeed assisted suicide".
Four British peers: Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
, Lord Alton of Liverpool
and Lord Carlile of Berriew
issued a joint complaint to Director-General of the BBC Mark Thompson
and BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten of Barnes
, calling the film "repugnant" and "disgraceful"; they wrote that the BBC ran a "orchestrated campaign" in favour of assisted death. In July 2011, an Early Day Motion
calling on the BBC to remain impartial on the subject of assisted dying was supported by 15 members of the House of Commons.
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of a pro-assisted death organisation Dignity in Dying
defended the film saying it was "deeply moving and at times difficult to watch" and that it "did not seek to hide the realities of assisted dying". A spokeswoman of the BBC denied the accusations of bias saying that the film "is giving people the chance to make their own minds up on the issue"; BBC's commissioning editor for documentaries, Charlotte Moore, added that the broadcaster "doesn’t have a stance on assisted suicide, but [they] do think that this is an important matter of debate". Craig Hunter, the film's executive producer for KEO North, called it a "valuable contribution to the increasingly urgent debate as to who determines when and how we die."
Terry Pratchett, who was a presenter on the film, disclosed his reason for making it, stating that he was "appalled at the current situation" and that "he knows that assisted dying is practised in at least three places in Europe and also in the United States." He defended the right to decide on assisted death, saying that "he believes it should be possible for someone stricken with a serious and ultimately fatal illness to choose to die peacefully with medical help, rather than suffer."
On November 13, 2011, 5 months after its première, the film received the 2011 BAFTA Scotland
Single Documentary award for the best Scottish documentary film produced in 2011.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced by KEO North for BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
on the subject of assisted suicide
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
, directed and produced by Charlie Russell. The film is presented by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
and features Peter Smedley, a 71-year-old motor neurone disease
Motor neurone disease
The motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
sufferer taking a lethal dose of the barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
Nembutal
Pentobarbital
Pentobarbital is a short-acting barbiturate that was first synthesized in 1928. Pentobarbital is available as both a free acid and a sodium salt, the former of which is only slightly soluble in water and ethanol....
at a Swiss assisted dying organisation Dignitas.
Subject
The film focuses on the story of Peter Smedley, an English millionaire hotelier who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2008. At the beginning of the film, Pratchett meets with the Smedleys to talk about dying; then he visits the widow of a Belgian writer Hugo ClausHugo Claus
Hugo Maurice Julien Claus was a leading Belgian author who published under his own name as well as various pseudonyms. Claus' literary contributions spanned the genres of drama, the novel, and poetry; he also left a legacy as a painter and film director...
who decided to commit suicide in 2008 after developing Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
Pratchett also meets Mick Gordelier, a retired London taxi driver and a motor neurone disease
Motor neurone disease
The motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
sufferer who chose to stay in the UK, preferring to be cared for in a hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
. After that, the novelist visits Andrew Colgan, a 42-year-old multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
sufferer; Colgan, like Peter Smedley, decided to go to Dignitas to take his life. Pratchett then travels to Switzerland to accompany the Smedleys and meets with Ludwig Minelli
Ludwig Minelli
Ludwig A. Minelli is a Swiss lawyer and human rights activist. He is the founder of Dignitas, an organization that helps permanently ill people to end life in a manner which relieves pain and suffering...
, the founder of Dignitas; during the final scene of the film he witnesses the death of Smedley who was kept company by his wife Christine and two Dignitas staff.
Production
The film was shot in several locations around the United Kingdom, including Terry Pratchett's manor house near SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. The interview with the Smedleys' was filmed at their mansion in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
with the Swiss part being shot in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
; the final scene took place on 10 December 2010 in Blue Oasis, Dignitas's two-storey house located in an industrial estate east of the city.
The executive producers of the film were Sam Anthony for the BBC and Craig Hunter for KEO North; Charlotte Moore took the role of the commissioning editor.
Broadcast
A preview of the film was shown at the 2011 Sheffield Doc/Fest on 11 June. Its première was screened as a part of PanoramaPanorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
documentary programme on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
television channel on 13 June, attaining 1.6 million viewers (6.7% of the total British audience); a following Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
debate on the film which represented both supporters and opponents of assisted suicide drew 1.1 million (5.6%).
Critics claim that it was the first film showing an on-screen death by euthanasia aired on terrestrial television; previously, in December 2008, a satellite television channel Sky Real Lives showed assisted suicide of a retired university professor Craig Ewert, who suffered from motor neurone disease, performed at the same Dignitas clinic.
An official North American première of the film was held during the North American Discworld Convention
The North American Discworld Convention
The North American Discworld Convention, a.k.a. NADWCon, is a biennial science fiction convention held in North America on odd-numbered years. This is done to accommodate the , which are held on even-numbered years. The first NADWCon was held in 2009 and sponsored by LepreCon, Inc....
2011 taking place from 8-11 July in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
.
Reception
The film has sparked strong controversy even before its première, with the BBC receiving about 750 complaints before the broadcast on 13 June and several others after the airing; on the following day, the total number of complaints reached 1,219 with 301 calls in favour of the film. It has been criticised by Christian and pro-life organisations, including the Care Not Killing AllianceCare Not Killing
Care, Not Killing is an alliance of several organisations who are opposed to the legalisation of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide in the United Kingdom.-Alliance members:The members of the alliance include:* British Council of Disabled People...
, whose spokeswoman, Alistair Thompson, described it as a "pro-assisted suicide propaganda loosely dressed up as a documentary"; its campaign director Peter Saunders stated that the film is a "disgraceful use of licence-payers' money and further evidence of a blatant campaigning stance". Michael Nazir-Ali
Michael Nazir-Ali
Michael James Nazir-Ali was the 106th Bishop of Rochester in the Church of England: he retired in September 2009, taking up a position as director of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue...
, a former bishop of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, added that it "glorified suicide and indeed assisted suicide".
Four British peers: Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Ilora Finlay, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Ilora Gillian Finlay, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, is a Welsh doctor, professor of palliative medicine, and an Independent Crossbench member of the House of Lords.She is a past president of the Royal Society of Medicine. She is a...
, Lord Alton of Liverpool
David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool
David Patrick Paul Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool is a British politician. He is a former Liberal Party and later Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament who now sits as cross bench member of the House of Lords. He was made a Life peer as Baron Alton of Liverpool, of Mossley Hill in the County of...
and Lord Carlile of Berriew
Alex Carlile, Baron Carlile of Berriew
Alexander Charles Carlile, Baron Carlile of Berriew, QC is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.-Early life and career:...
issued a joint complaint to Director-General of the BBC Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
and BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten of Barnes
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
, calling the film "repugnant" and "disgraceful"; they wrote that the BBC ran a "orchestrated campaign" in favour of assisted death. In July 2011, an Early Day Motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
calling on the BBC to remain impartial on the subject of assisted dying was supported by 15 members of the House of Commons.
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of a pro-assisted death organisation Dignity in Dying
Dignity in Dying
Dignity in Dying is a United Kingdom nationwide campaigning organisation. It is funded by voluntary contributions from members of the public, and as of December 2010, it claimed to have 25,000 actively subscribing supporters...
defended the film saying it was "deeply moving and at times difficult to watch" and that it "did not seek to hide the realities of assisted dying". A spokeswoman of the BBC denied the accusations of bias saying that the film "is giving people the chance to make their own minds up on the issue"; BBC's commissioning editor for documentaries, Charlotte Moore, added that the broadcaster "doesn’t have a stance on assisted suicide, but [they] do think that this is an important matter of debate". Craig Hunter, the film's executive producer for KEO North, called it a "valuable contribution to the increasingly urgent debate as to who determines when and how we die."
Terry Pratchett, who was a presenter on the film, disclosed his reason for making it, stating that he was "appalled at the current situation" and that "he knows that assisted dying is practised in at least three places in Europe and also in the United States." He defended the right to decide on assisted death, saying that "he believes it should be possible for someone stricken with a serious and ultimately fatal illness to choose to die peacefully with medical help, rather than suffer."
On November 13, 2011, 5 months after its première, the film received the 2011 BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Formed in 1997, the branch holds an annual awards ceremony, the British Academy Scotland Awards , to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Scottish film, television and video games...
Single Documentary award for the best Scottish documentary film produced in 2011.