death, me, dying tree

Directed by Lana Smithner, Produced by Nicole Richwalsky, Abigail Vega, and Andrew Boeder

death, me, dying tree is a nationwide community service project and documentary that explores, unburdens, and cleanses our cultural relationship with death. We curate free public events where all can mourn the ongoing destruction and natural death in the modern world while being offered tools to bring joy and love into this essential process.

WELCOME MESSAGE

We envision a Western culture that has replaced fear of death with a healthy respect for it, where death is treated with the same care as birth, and where everyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or geography has access to resources ensuring a dignified death process.

EMBRACE THE SEASON

Sunday October 25th 7pm ET/ 4pm PT

A ritual release into Fall, Samhain, and Halloween. Join us for this free webinar which includes performances, a meditation, and laughter to help us delve into this season of death and rebirth.

JOIN THE FREE WEBINAR

WATCH OUR PAST CONVERSATION

Enjoy our past conversation where artists specializing in grief literacy share how we can transform our grief through healing tools that you can bring to your everyday life. The death of our loved ones, isolation, and intolerance will be discussed with meditations, music, and poems to help us to find joy while we feel grief.

GUESTS INCLUDE

Death Doula, Lana Smithner
Founder of Song Of The Spirit Institute, B. Anderson
Visual Anthropologist and Writer, Joy Brandsma
Musician, Malila Hollow
Director and Producer of We Howl, Nathanael Card
Associate Director of We Howl, AnJu Hyppolite
Founder of The Grief Gang, Amber Jeffrey
Ancestral Lineage Practitioner, Jessica Headley

SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Your donation will be used to pay artists for their contributions to death, me, dying tree as well as cover the production costs of the events and the documentary that will take place in 2021 and 2022 in ten communities across the United States.

DONATE HERE

All donations are tax-deductible through our Fiscal Sponsor SIMA Studios, a 501(c)3 non-profit.

TAKE ACTION

Talk to at least one loved one about your end of life plans:
Above all else I see creating a death file (Will, Advanced Directive, POA and more) as one of the most beautiful gifts you can give to your loved ones. In the event of your unforeseen death, all they have to focus on is mourning your death, and celebrating your life. -Lana Smithner

CREATE YOUR FILE

BONUS FEATURES

Talk w/ Darling “Shear” Squire

Interview with Kate Smith

Teaser

THANK YOU

Lana Smithner is the director, founder, and artistic facilitator of death, me, dying tree. As a certified death doula, hospice volunteer, meditation guide, artist, and filmmaker she believes that melding healing modalities with art and storytelling is the way forward. Her desire to change the way we deal with death is at the heart of this project.