Screen/Society--"Homegoings" (Christine Turner, 2013)

"Homegoings"
(Christine Turner, 2013, 57 min, USA, English, Digital)

Through the eyes of funeral director Isaiah Owens, the beauty and grace of African-American funerals are brought to life. Filmed at Owens Funeral Home in New York City's historic Harlem neighborhood, HOMEGOINGSs takes an up-close look at the rarely seen world of undertaking in the black community, where funeral rites draw on a rich palette of tradition, history and celebration. 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."

"Exquisitely tender ... one of those rare opportunities to go toward the thing we fear most-death-and realize how much joy and comfort there is in it, when handled with grace and care. Thoughtful and enlightening." - The Washington Post

"The morbid meets the deeply spiritual in Christine Turner's assured documentary... Ms. Turner captures the intimacy of solemn, heartfelt moments, and salutes a man who honors their value." - The New York Times

"Watching Isaiah Owens' gentle face ... and hearing him explain his interest in laying the dead to rest ... we know instinctively that his presence on earth is a gift to all who meet him, living or dead." - The Wall Street Journal

View Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ6910UGYaQ

Co-sponsored by the Human Rights for the Dying and Dead initiative.

Parking Info: https://artscenter.duke.edu/parking