“You died this morning. Are you interested in what comes next?” This question, as morbid as it is engaging, draws us into an exploration of the world of death in this interactive web documentary. Not in a mystical way, but based in practicalities: the world of funeral directors, pallbearers, gravediggers, stonemasons, and masters of ceremonies.
Who hasn’t fantasized about attending their own funeral? This dark and lyrical experience offers a rare opportunity to do just that. The web documentary consists of several chapters, each combining photographs with a poetic voice-over, which you navigate in whatever order you choose.
Guided by your own beliefs or curiosity, you wander through this photo story as the “dead” protagonist. Starting with a standard funeral contract, you are invited to plan your own funeral according to your wishes. Depending on the choices you make, Thanatorama takes you through the intimate and the universal, the earthly and the heavenly, religious rituals and market forces.
Thanatorama is one of the earliest interactive documentaries. First presented at IDFA DocLab in 2007, it was shown at festivals around the world before the discontinuation of Flash made it inaccessible. It can now be experienced again as part of the Archive Arcade
