June-July-Aug 2012 35 LETTERS A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT WRITING, LOVE & SAYING GOOD-BYE “Let words be as feathers I shall her own faecal matter. The doctors Minister Kevin Rudd to change the gather unto myself these paper predicted it would happen and they law. She wrote: wings and soar to you. Such wings told Angelique there was nothing were not made to fly too close to the that modern medicine could do to ‘We finally have in Kevin Rudd a sun but nearer the moon. For night prevent it. Luckily, Angelique was a Prime Minister who is a person as is the realm of magic.” member of Exit and had her bottle of well as a politician, a man who had Nembutal at home in the cupboard. the conscience to say sorry to our On 19 August 2008, Melbourne Unluckily, she was bedridden in a indigenous people, who had the writer/ poet Angelique Flowers died hospice in her hour of need. integrity to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. of colon cancer. She was 31 years I beg the Labor government to old. As Exit wrote at the time, Angelique joined Exit shortly after continue beating with the heart it has Angelique died the most miserable she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon shown and to ensure euthanasia is death possible. In the arms of her cancer. With Dr Philip Nitschke made legal once again’. Angelique’s brother Damian, a complete bowel she prepared a video for Youtube in pleas fell on deaf ears with Kevin obstruction caused her to choke on which she pleaded with then Prime Rudd failing to reply. IN THIS ISSUE Four years after 1 35 Letters Documentary her passing, 2 To donate to 35 Letters award-winning 4 Exit Mobile Lab: Ready to Go filmmaker 4 ACU Debate Finds No Winner Janine Hosking 5 Exitorial has started a new 6 Workshop Dates for 2012 documentary 6 UK News project entitled 6 Paypal Freezes Exit US Funds ‘35 Letters: A 7 Chapter News n Moves Documentary 7 Hobart Public Meeting about Writing, 7 Vale: Bettina O’Meara Love & Saying 8 Max Dog Brewing: Shipping Globally Good-bye’. The 9 News from Zurich Conference film centres on 10 Join Exit & Peaceful Pill Store To view the trailer to ‘35 Letters’ visit: http://bit.ly/NUeu0R June-July-August 2012 Page 1 of 10 I CALLED HEr ‘AUTUMN HEART’ SHE CALLED ME ‘SISTER WIND’ a bundle of letters which Angelique mailed to her sister Michelle who lives in Canada. The letters were intended as Michelle’s 35th birthday present. Angelique wrote: ‘I cannot grant you 35 wishes but I can give you 35 letters, a letter for every year’. Of her as-yet-unfinished documentary (‘35 Letters’ will be Hosking’s 4th feature length film - previous documentaries include ‘My Khmer Heart’ (which won Documentary of the Year at the Hollywood Film Festival 2000; the unforgettable ‘Mademoiselle and the Doctor’ & ‘Gunja Queen’ about Schapelle Corby) - Janine says ‘the life and death story of Angelique Flowers is as powerful as it is moving’. ‘Angelique’s plight first came to our attention when Philip Nitschke posted her plea to Kevin Rudd on Youtube. Here The last photo taken of Michelle & Angelique Flowers was a young woman who was eloquent, poignant, insightful ‘Since Angelique’s death I have been granted exclusive access and with a wisdom beyond her years. She was also a young to members of the Flowers’ family, as well as to private family woman being robbed of her life. As anyone who has worked videos and photographs. To date, we have shot footage with in the media will tell you, a human story of this magnitude is a Damian at his home in the UK when he sprinkled Angelique’s most effective means by which politicians’ minds can be prised ashes in the river at Stratford Upon Avon (the home of open.’ Shakespeare) and also with Michelle in Canada. ‘Angelique’s story is important to tell for so many reasons. It TO MAKE A DONATION is very rare that a family is prepared to talk so candidly about their loss. Angelique enjoyed an especially close relationship Go to: http://www.documentaryaustralia.com.au/films/details/1595/35-letters with both siblings. It makes compelling viewing having both of them prepared to talk on film. Angelique also left a valuable • Click ‘Make a Grant’ legacy of letters to her sister. In these 35 letters she talks about • Follow the prompts to set up an Account the meaning of life and gives a very personal insight into the • Click ‘New Grant Application form’ panic, distress and the heart-wrenching reflections which come • Select film ‘35 Letters’ when one faces a terminal illness, knowing that their dying • Select funding pledge amount • Click ‘submit’ will cause heartbreak to those they love. • Wait for Email from DAF to payment ‘As a film maker and journalist, I have long had an interest in If you wish to donate by cheque (also tax deductable), voluntary euthanasia. One of the first programs I produced on please send to: this subject was for Channel 7 TV which involved the Broken iKandy Films, PO Box 111, Enmore NSW 2042 Hill taxi driver, Max Bell. I was present when Max died back in 1996. Since that time I have directed ‘Mademoiselle and June-July-Aug 2012 Page 2 of 10 ‘35 LETTERS’ CONT the Doctor’ about the extraordinary decision of 79-year old ‘The current budget of ‘35 Letters’ is $365,400, of which retired French academic, Lisette Nigot, who decided she would $280,000 has been already raised. We are left, however, with rather die, than turn 80. ‘I might as well go while the going is a critical short-fall of AUD$84,500. One source which we good’ Lisette told me. This is a point of view that continues to approached and which elected not to support the project was resonate with many Exit members today. the Clem Jones Trust. It seemed common sense to approach the trustees for a small contribution. You can read my application to them on the Exit website. (If you are not online the Exit office can mail you a copy, along with their reply). Naturally, I was terribly disappointed and confused as to why a project such as this documentary was considered such an unsuitable recipient of Clem Jones’ largesse. Perhaps the trustees don’t understand how public debate on a topic such as VE can be influenced and even framed through films of this nature. Continuing, Janine says ‘In any case, Exit has now firmly backed the project, making an initial $500 donation. I would like to invite the Exit community to contribute towards the remaining funds needed; both in memory of Angelique Philip Nitschke with Lisette Nigot at her home in Perth in 2002 - ‘Mademoiselle & the Doctor’ Documentary - Flowers and in the rightful and full expectation that legislating for dignity at the end of life is possible. The aim of ‘35 ‘As with all documentaries, it is funding which determines Letters’ is to capture the imagination of law-makers and the whether or not a film gets completed. The cost of making a public alike. Angelique’s story - as common yet as rare as it feature documentary can run into the hundreds of thousands is - lends itself to the making of a powerful and unforgettable of dollars. Although the international funding environment documentary. If you would like to talk with me personally is extremely competitive, over the years I have been lucky about the project please call me, on 0411-275-112 or email: to build a solid reputation as a documentary maker and, as [email protected] a result, have been able to consistently source funds through Thank you. Janine Hosking bodies such as Screen Australia. In recent years, an increasingly important source of funds has been public and community AUGUST 2012 - UPDATE contributions’ says Janine. PEACEFUL PILL EHANDBOOK ‘To this effect, I am hoping to make use of the Documentary www.peacefulpill.com Australia Foundation. This organisation (and website) allows The August update which is OUT NOW features: members of the public to make tax free donations to film projects (a process known as ‘crowd-funding’). This is an News & Updates on Chinese Nembutal - This is a fast-changing field with new players emerging obvious boon where films on social issues (such as voluntary & previous sources dropping away. Who can you trust? euthanasia) are concerned. I am pleased to say the ‘35 Letters’ project is now listed with the Foundation, making all All about Insulin - While Insulin is more widely available than ever before, donations to ‘35 Letters’ tax deductible through the Australian it is less than ideal for the perfect peaceful & reliable Tax Office. death. Find out why? June-July-Aug 2012 Page 3 of 10 EXIT MOBILE LABORATORY - ON THE ROAD & READY TO GO The Exit Mobile Lab marks an important turning point in Exit’s long-established workshop program. Rather than just informing members about their end of life options, the Mobile Lab will enable members, Australia- wide, to come along and test their drugs (powder and liquid) for themselves, under in-house supervision. A total of four unique verification tests will be able to be conducted in the mobile lab on a user-pays basis. All requisite chemicals, equipment and hands-on training will be provided by Exit. At the conclusion of the test- ing, Members will receive a computer print-out of the results, providing valuable peace of mind. Exit’s new mobile laboratory that will take to the The van will also provide Dr Philip Nitschke with a very Australian roads in September 2012 special space to consult with Exit members more widely.