Four Films on Grief and Bereavement
A Family Disrupted
Dealing With the Death of a Sibling
By the Calgary Health Region Grief Support Center

Part of the Four Films on Grief and Bereavement series which is available on a single DVD!

The death of a sibling is a profound experience. It represents the loss of a shared history, and an uncertain future without the cherished loved one whose companionship may sometimes have been taken for granted. Lois, Jerry, and Claire have each unexpectedly lost a sibling. They share moving insights into how they and their families have coped with grief and with the unanswered, perhaps unanswerable questions of death and loss. They describe what it's like to deal with friends and extended family members who don't share or may not want to engage in their sorrow — and the inappropriate comments people often make. They acknowledge that the ways they preferred to mourn were at times in conflict with those of their parents, and they all reflect on the impact their sibling's death has had on their current family dynamics. Lois's father died at an early age, and her sister's death came only months after her mother's; she must live with the fact that she is the last person alive from her immediate family. Jerry and Claire must cope with parents who have become overprotective — afraid that the worst might also happen to them. All three experience a sense of anger at God, at their lost sibling, and at themselves.

22 minutes
© 2007
Purchase $199 DVD
Order No. QA-493
ISBN (DVD) 1-57295-970-3

Related Films
Four Films on Grief and Bereavement: This four-part series profiles individuals who are struggling to deal with the often unexpected death of a loved one: a child, a parent, a spouse, or a sibling. Their thoughtful, courageous responses focus on dealing with the immediate impact of loss, on paths to healing, and on the ways that friends and family can help — but sometimes don’t. In sharing the pain of mourning, they explore universal experiences that will help others to begin healing.

Out of Order: When children die before their parents, it seems a violation of the natural order of things. In this short documentary, three couples talk of what they've gone through since the recent deaths of their children through illness, accident, or suicide.

Dearly Loved: In this short trigger film three young adults, from different cultural backgrounds, talk frankly and movingly about what it has been like to experience the death of a parent.

Uncoupled: In the aftermath of a spouse's death, people may feel that they don't know how to behave, or even to mourn properly. Alone for the first time in years, grieving spouses often feel that there is no one there to help them sort through this devastation. Four people at varying stages of dealing with the loss of a spouse explain what worked and did not work for them during the months and years after their loss.

Grief in America: A comprehensive, multi-ethnic perspective on the ways Americans deal with grief and loss in all their forms.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

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