How to Die in Oregon is a documentary that primarily focuses on what Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act looks like for patients, the patients’ loved ones and administrators, but also focuses on the battle to pass a similar law in Washington. The Oregon law permits terminally ill patients to have a prescription for a medication that will end the patient’s life. The patient must request and administer the medication. Witnesses must be present during the request. Many of the patients in How to Die in Oregon die without taking the medicine, but appreciate having it just in case things get too painful. How to Die in Oregon is heavily weighted in favor of palliative care, but does devote some time to those who oppose it, including a terminally ill man who is outraged that his health insurance denied treatment and encouraged him to explore “end-of-life” options.
My description of How to Die in Oregon does not reflect the emotional power of a documentary that focuses on the stories of the dying. How to Die in Oregon does not feel exploitative, but is appropriately distant at the time of death when the camera stays still outside, but the audio of the dying surrounded by loved ones remain on. How to Die in Oregon is a must see documentary because it takes the theoretical and legal arguments and grounds them in the painful and loving realities of individuals struggling with pain. The most convincing argument was why do we treat people worse than animals in terms of pain.