“From Earth To Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America” by Spirit and Soil Productions
“From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America” takes a critical look at the rituals dictated by America’s death-denying culture and asks, “how can people trying to cope with the death of a loved one be better served?” Our documentary takes the viewer deep into the woods of Vermont and the meadows of central New York where deathwork pioneers are inspiring a new way of thinking about life, death, and our enduring connection to nature.
Along the way, we explore the systematic problems of the death industry and provide insight into alternative paths for returning our bodies to the embrace of the Earth. You will meet traditional morticians, advocates of natural burial, people dealing with the death of loved ones, and Vermont's very own “tiny death witch.” Along the way, you will discover a whole new approach to burial, funerals, and life itself.
FROM THE PRODUCER
“Death is inescapable. The only chance we have to not deal with death and grief is if we are lucky enough to die first and leave our families with the aftermath. From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of America is the first installment of what we hope to be a docuseries inspiring individuals to have difficult conversations with their families on what they want out of their end-of-life and post-mortem care. In our research of death doulas, non-medical professionals who provide emotional and logistical support for the dying and their families as well as advocate for their needs and wishes, Spirit & Soil Productions came across Michelle Hogle-Acciavatti.
Known as "The Tiny Death Witch", Hogle-Acciavatti is a death doula, founder of The Collective of Radical Death Studies, a pioneer in the change to Vermont's legislation surrounding burial making natural burial more accessible, and the head cemetarian at the first 100% all-natural burial cemetery in Roxbury, Vermont.
This project follows those who work side by side with the dying and the dead, who offer an alternative path for returning our bodies to the embrace of the earth. From deep into the woods of Vermont to the meadows of central New York, deathwork pioneers are inspiring a new way to think about life, death, and our enduring connection to nature. While opening up these conversations about death we explore the system problems of the death industry and provide insight into alternative paths for returning our bodies to the embrace of the earth - closing the gap of access to information and moving away from the one-size-fits-all perspective that keeps death a multi-million dollar industry rather than a natural part of the circle of life.
Follow our journey on our Instagram @spirit.and.soil and our website spiritandsoil.productions”
CREDITS
Director, Producer, Researcher// Max Schweik/ @max.schweik
Director, Producer, Researcher// Alyssa Beebe/ @ablove_16
Producer, Writer, Media Liaison// Chess Cabrera/ @ccabrera.mov
Producer, Writer// Mikayla Hall/ @mkay.media
Production Company// Spirit & Soil Productions/ @spirit.and.soil
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