Funeral Service Resources

From birth to death, in every country on the globe, for tens of thousands of years, the rhythm of human life has been accentuated by the practice of religious ritual. In this program, adherents of three different faiths share their understanding of some common rites of passage: a rabbi explains the elements of a Jewish wedding, including some that date back to the book of Genesis; a minister discusses the role of Christian faith in making funerals more bearable; and a Hindu couple demonstrate the use of both astrology and the Internet to choose the right name for their daughter. Featuring footage of the ceremonies, the video provides an intimate look at the affirmation of spiritual beliefs. (14 minutes)

Set in the foothills of the Appalachians, this film explores one man’s vision of using green burials to conserve land. Dr. Billy Campbell, the town’s only physician, and his efforts have radically changed our understanding of burials in the United States. Dr. Campbell’s dream is to conserve one million acres of land. Dying Green focuses on the revolutionary idea of using our own death to fund land conservation and create wildlife preserves.

Through the eyes of funeral director Isaiah Owens, the beauty and grace of African-American funerals are brought to life. Filmed at the Owens Funeral Home in Harlem and the rural South, Homegoings takes an up-close look at the rarely seen world of undertaking in the black community. It reveals the special status of undertakers; borne out of their permanence, their economic stability, and the necessities of the segregation period. Combining cinéma vérité with intimate interviews and archival photographs, the film paints a portrait of the dearly departed, their grieving families, and a man who sends loved ones “home.” With English subtitles. (57 minutes)

They lie in silence, cities within cities, where a tomb is a home and transportation is one way. Let us be your guide to a land you will someday enter and never leave. From the history of ground burial to today's high-tech cremation, learn about how you will get to your final resting place. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (45 minutes) Distributed by A&E Television Networks.

In this acclaimed four-part series, veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers reports on the growing movement in America to improve care for people who are dying. Using interviews and research from across the country, each program describes the intimate experiences of patients, families, and caregivers as they struggle to infuse life’s ultimate rite of passage with compassion and comfort. 4-part series, 87 minutes each.

This program sees paper taking the form of environmentally friendly paper coffins and exquisite paper offerings for the dead according to the Chinese tradition. The Underworld of Paper explores how these intriguing paper offerings, paper servants, and paper luxury handbags from Hong Kong make shopping for the dead a brand-new experience—while away in England, amazing paper coffins from Eco Coffin are leading the way for environmentally friendly burials. Made from recycled cardboard, these paper coffins with customizable size and design are growing in popularity. From life to afterlife, our paper maestros have it all covered. Part of the series All Things Paper. (23 minutes)