Lessons for the Living

A diverse group of volunteers at a New York City hospice—a rabbi, a high school student, a corporate personal assistant, and even a patient who serves double duty in aiding others at the final stage of their lives—are the focus of Lily Frances Henderson's documentary. Each person here offers a poignant and unusually in-depth description of their experiences working in hospice, providing remarkable insights on what it means to follow someone on their journey toward death. While all of the interviewees are engaging—particularly the uncommonly articulate teenager—Henderson does not provide a great deal of footage of the actual hospice and patients, which leads her to pad the production with an excess of artsy shots of her subjects and a surplus of travelogue-worthy views of New York's towering skyline and boisterous pedestrian traffic. Although this creates a visual approach at odds with the subject matter, the serious substance at the center of Lessons for the Living ultimately trumps the less-than-remarkable style. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)