BBC Two, 2016

HOW TO DIE: SIMON'S CHOICE

Simon is a successful businessman with a loving family and large circle of friends whose world falls apart when he is diagnosed with an aggressive form of motor neurone disease and given two years to live. Within weeks of the diagnosis the disease causes Simon to lose the use of his voice. Faced with the prospect of a rapid physical decline, Simon tells his family that he is considering ending his life at a Swiss suicide clinic.

Filmed and directed by award-winning filmmaker Rowan Deacon, and made in partnership with The Open University, this intimate and deeply moving film follows Simon and his family and friends as they grapple with the huge moral, emotional and legal dilemmas around Simon’s choice. Their conflicting perspectives unearth difficult questions for Simon which means that his heart-wrenching decision is hanging in the balance until the very end.

Shot against the backdrop of the 2015 parliamentary debate on the Assisted Dying Bill, Simon’s remarkable story explores the complex human questions at the heart of this deeply divisive issue.

An intimate and deeply affecting film, a landmark documentary

The Telegraph

As an intelligent, passionate debate, the film was first class

The Times

This film should be compulsory viewing

Independent
FILMED / PRODUCED / DIRECTED BY

Rowan Deacon

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Lizzie Kempton

FILM EDITOR

Ben Brown

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Colin Barr

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Robert Ford

COMPOSER

Richard Spiller