The Suicide Tourist

How far must someone go to die with dignity? Currently, it's Switzerland. With the help of non-profit organizations such as Dignitas, people from around the world visit the liberally governed country in the middle of Europe to end their lives. The founder of Dignitas, retired civil rights lawyer Ludwig Minelli, believes that death-by-choice is a basic human right. Every day he receives requests from around the world from people who wish to end their lives in a dignified and painless manner, people who are known as “Suicide Tourists”– People like Craig Ewert, a 59-year-old man dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. He and his wife, Mary, travel from their current home in Canada to Switzerland to meet with Minelli and receive his assistance in ending the daily decline of Craig's life. People like George and Betty, a Vancouver couple who, when faced with George's deteriorating heart condition, wish nothing more than to die peacefully in each other's arms. In making THE SUICIDE TOURIST, having been given unprecedented access to the process of legal euthanasia (from beginning to literal end), John Zaritsky creates a moving controversial documentary that is sure to divide audiences when faced with their own mortality and faith. – WFG