The Words to Tell You

What do we say to someone who is terminally ill, with just a few weeks left to live? How does a doctor tell the patient that there will not be any more treatment for his cancer? This is the story of Mr Hasan’s last two months before pancreatic cancer took his life. After the relationship with his doctor is established, we can see how difficult it becomes to tell him - that it is the end. In the last part of the documentary, we witness his confrontation with imminent death. This kind of access is still difficult to obtain, since hospitals are very cautious about letting the media scrutinise the work of doctors and the care given to patients in palliative care units. In this case, we discover how a few dedicated individuals will offer moments of relief to dying patients - with massage and music. And how an exceptional, empathic doctor, with years of experience, can still be moved when dealing with terminally ill patients. At a time of fast TV and short stories on social media, it is refreshing to see that slow storytelling can still powerfully address current affairs, by offering us the time to experience a reality, instead of endlessly debating the pros and cons of such a sensitive issue as the right to die.