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Brazil: Alone and Anonymous (Solitário Anônimo)
By: Anis
Posted: Aug 20 08
Witnessed: 2914 times
Regions: Brazil
Tags: brazil, Euthanasia, Health and Human Rights, human_rights
An elderly man lying on the grass waiting to die. In his pocket, a message announced that he was from a distant land. He had no documents or any possessions. His desire was to die alone and anonymous. This is the beginning of a documentary that tells the touching story of a man who was determined to plan and control his own death. It is a film about freedom, life and death.
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Comments
The Right to Die
By Masha Medvedkov on Feb 6 09
This film brings forth several important and controversial questions:
Do we have the right to choose death?
Does the government have the right to impose medical attention on the dying?
How do you determine whether a person has the right to choose their death?
Health is a human right, that is certain. When a person needs proper health care, they should be able to access it promptly and indiscriminately. On the other side, a person must also have the right to refuse care. Choosing death over care is a personal choice, not one that can be mandated by the government. In Alone and Anonymous, the government violated the elderly gentleman's human rights. Although their intentions were good-willed, the nurses took on a seemingly negative and forceful role, acting against the clearly stated will of their patient. If a person has no history or strong symptoms of mental illness and clearly expresses a desire to die, the right to die must be recognized. If a person is mentally ill, this issue becomes very hazy and must probably be decided case by case.
-Masha, Hub Intern