About the Film

From its opening scene, where a terminally ill cancer patient takes a lethal dose of Seconal and literally dies on camera, it becomes shockingly clear that How to Die in Oregon is a special film. In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. As a result, any individual whom two physicians diagnose as having less than six months to live can lawfully request a fatal dose of barbiturate to end his or her life. Since 1994, more than 500 Oregonians have taken their mortality into their own hands.
In How to Die in Oregon, filmmaker Peter Richardson gently enters the lives of the terminally ill as they consider whether—and when—to end their lives by lethal overdose. Richardson examines both sides of this complex, emotionally charged issue. What emerges is a life-affirming, staggeringly powerful portrait of what it means to die with dignity. To see the trailer, visit:http://sundance.bside.com/2011/films/howtodieinoregon_sundance2011

About the Director

How to Die in Oregon is Peter Richardson’s second feature documentary. He began production in 2007 and is its director, producer, co-editor and cinematographer. Richardson also directed, produced, edited and co-photographed his debut feature, (“Clear Cut: The Story Of Philomath, Oregon”) which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006.