210. A Love That Never Dies; movie review

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIES
Cert 12A
75 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, bereavement theme

A bereaved couple talk about their son dying while on holiday in Vietnam - not the sort of thing we needed to be seeing two days before our daughter flies out to Cambodia, was it?
A Love That Never Dies tackles the subject which is at the forefront of any parent's mind - the possible horror of losing a child.
It is a subject that Mrs W and I have discussed many many times since our first was born 28 years ago. The usual question is: "How could you possibly recover from it?"
Only recently, the son of our former childminder died from a brain tumour and as we attended his funeral we just could not imagine what his poor mum and dad were going through.
The axis around which Jimmy Edmonds and Jane Harris' film rotates is the death of their son Josh in a motorbike accident in Vietnam.
I felt deeply sorry for them as they recounted their feelings about what had happened.
They then move to the United States for the other case studies during which more parents express their individual experiences of grief.
Four of them amplified why I loathe motorbikes, guns and drug taking.
Of course, how a young person dies is immaterial and the interviews during this documentary are both sensitive but inquiring, allowing subjects to talk meaningfully about the emotion and reality of such a bereavement.
A Love That Never Dies is a hard watch for those who haven't lost a child - I can only imagine how tough it would be for those who have.
However, there is a grain of optimism and bereaved parents might want to watch it to see how others have handled trauma and what they hang on to.
There is also a clear message about seeking out the groups where experiences can be shared.
Those who have taken part in this documentary have apparently found it cathartic. For that alone, it must be seen as entirely worthwhile.

Reasons to watch - Revealing portrait of parents affected by death of children
Reasons to avoid: Will be far too upsetting for some

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Director quote - Jimmy Edmonds: "As a filmmaker, A Love That Never Dies has been the hardest project I’ve ever worked on. As a bereaved dad, it has probably saved my life”.

The big question - No, I really don't want to think about what it would be like.

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