Documentary Background

A Hero's Journey:
The Life and Death of Robert Washing

    In conversation, a few weeks ago my father said, "Death happens to 100% of us." My father, Robert Washing, was diagnosed with Metastatic and Pancreatic Cancer in August 1999. This diagnosis of cancer was devastating to our family. In the short time since his diagnosis we have discovered that he will most likely die within the next six months. I realized that I needed to document his passing on in order to take care of a lot of issues that have or will be prompted by his death.

     The thought of my father's quickly approaching death made me realize that I still have a lot to learn from him, but a very short time to do it within. Therefore, the idea of doing a documentary about my father's death will hopefully aid in mine and others ability to accept and process his imminent death. The videography process will act as a vehicle to aid me spending time with my father in his final days. This time spent with my father will help me to process the first death of one of my parents. At this point I understand that he is going to die, but I don't think I can understand the gravity of such an event. By the conclusion of the documentary I should be able to understand how the passing of a loved one effects my life and others lives.

     The second main focus of this documentary is to create a living record of my father's life to pass to his wife, children, family, friends, and descendants. The nature of death usually affords most people a very short time to finish telling everyone in the world the story of their life. Hence, this robs many people of the knowledge and wisdom that their father, husband, or friends may have yet to pass to them. I feel as though my father has passed a lot of knowledge wisdom on to me wich has made my life very rich, however, I also feel that there is more that I can learn from him. My father and I have had many wonderful conversations over the past 20 some years. I have always thought that we would grow old together and that sooner or later my wisdom would grow and our philosophical conversations would also grow and we would just continue to learn from each other. I feel that some how this is getting cut very short. I would imagine that there are may others that my father has touched that feel the same as I do. However, most of these individuals will not be able to be as close to my father in his final days as I will. This documentary will allow my father and me to disperse any knowledge or wisdom to these individuals that comes from his passing.

    The documentary will also allow my fathers grandchildren and other descendants a chance to know who he was and learn from his wisdom. I never knew either of my grandfathers. They both died years before my birth. Thus, they were never able to pass their personal wisdom and knowledge to me or my brothers. Since, neither my brothers nor I have procreated our children, my father's grandchildren, will never know my father. I feel that none of us can really know where we are going without knowing where we come from. Documenting his death will give those to come some knowledge of whom he was first hand.

     Everyone must die and death is a momentous occasion. The process of death can be very disturbing to many people that are familiar with the person dying. Hopefully, through the documenting process and beyond many people, including my father, will be aided in the acceptance and processing of Robert Washing's death.

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