Day 70: Lot 63, grave C

Today I watched a short film about Meredith Hunter, the man killed during the infamous Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in 1969. The details of his death are still mysterious, but it's believed he was stabbed to death by a member of the Hell's Angels, who served as security for the concert, after Hunter drew a gun in the crowded concert.

The film, only ten minutes long, focuses on Hunter's time at the concert, his unmarked grave in the Skyview Cemetery, and Edward Wilkes, general manager of the cemetery. Wilkes shows us around the grounds, offering information on the spot where Hunter is buried. For unknown reasons Hunter's family declined to purchase a headstone for the plot, so Hunter is buried without any markers or identification. The film plays up the contrast between Hunter's role in Altamont and his relative obscurity today.

hard to be obscure in a lime green suit

What I learned: I didn't know much the incident. I knew it involved the Rolling Stones and The Hell's Angels, and that's about it. I learned that the concert was supposed to be the West Coast's version of Woodstock, that there was only one death (I figured it was much more for some reason) and that the Hell's Angel who did the deed was never convicted, since it was self-defense. What really interested me was how the incident was used to signify the real "end" to the peace and love mentality of the 60's. This film made it seem like it was the final nail in the coffin.

What I liked: Though the film's focus is on Hunter, Wilkes steals the show. He's got a calming, thoughtful manner that captures attention in a subtle way. He's allowed to speak about his views on death and legacy, first relating to Hunter than opening up more broadly. The film directly discusses the death of Meredith Hunter, but it also speaks to the nature of death itself.

You could watch the trailer, but with it only being 10 mins long, why not just watch the whole thing?

It's worth noting that after the film was released donations were raised and in 2008 a headstone was purchased for Meredith Hunter. 

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Day 67: When I Die

Today I watched "When I Die", a short film about a man coming to terms with his own eminent death.

Philip Gould was a British political adviser who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was given only a few months to live. Gould used his remaining months to spend time with his family, conduct interviews and write a book. This film is a conversation during his final weeks.

What I learned: I didn't know who Philip Gould was but that doesn't really matter. He was a man about to die, and that was his most distinguishing characteristic. The film is just short of 9 minutes- basically a monologue about his views on his life and death.

He seems incredibly at peace with his situation and not afraid at all. He states again and again that he has accepted his fate and no longer has a fear of whatever comes next. He made his peace with God and has decided to spend the rest of his time enjoying the company of his family and friends. He had some calming platitudes about the cycles of life and death and how we should spend less time worried about what we can't change and more time enjoying what we have.

You can watch it online here:

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Day 37: The Moment of Death

I'm obsessed with death. We all are, I know. You can trace the root of our nation's love of beauty and youth to a very simple fear of death. But I'm obsessed more than most. It's not that I'm scared about dying; for a healthy 20-something year old, I feel as comfortable as I can about dying someday. I am obsessed with how we try to trick ourselves out of realizing we are going to die someday. Our brains work so hard to keep that realization from the forefront of our attention. If we really grasped the concept of death, we'd be immobilized: we'd recognize how futile our actions were when compared to the immeasurable magnitude of human existence. So we block it from our minds, and don't give it thought unless we have to; when a loved one dies, during times of national tragedy, or in those rare moments when comedy reminds us of our own mortality (I'll explain my theories on death and comedy another day).

Anyway, I will be watching a lot of docs, all that I can find, on the topic of death, dying, and dealing with it. Today I watched "Moment of Death" by National Geographic. Its goal was to examine those last few moments before death sets in, and what happens to the body in a physical, mental, and spiritual sense. Multiple interviews with survivors of near-death experiences provide information about what we see right before we die.

What I learned: A nice little chunk. The old-wife's tale about heads being cognizant after being decapitated seems to be true: they can continue to blink 7 seconds after being separated from the body. Old timey mortuaries used to be less focused on preparing the dead for burial and more about giving the bodies time to come back to life. Since there were a lot of cases of people just being in undetectable comas, they would tie bells to the bodies and if they woke up they wouldn't be buried.

What I liked: The subject matter. Like I've said, I'll be interested in anything death related forever. The film raised the expected questions when one is dealing with death: do we have souls, how society's view on death has changed over time, the legal right-to-die cases, etc.

What I didn't like: I didn't get much out of the personal testimonies about near death. This kind of stuff happens all the time, so hearing a select one or two stories did not stir me much.

Overall not the best death doc I've seen but it got me excited to see more in the future.

This is what I found when I typed "death" into google images. 

The doc is on Netflix.