The Cinematheque

Vancouver Premiere

“A candid, close-to-the-bone doc … Piercingly personal … [An] achingly funny-sad film.”

Guy Lodge, Variety

When filmmaker Simon Chambers puts his work on hold to tend to his aging uncle David, he believes he will be helping for a few months. But months turn into years as Simon takes on the Herculean task of caring for David, a former actor who came out late in life. Stubbornly refusing to leave his cluttered house, and consequently endangered by associated hazards, David nonetheless indefatigably bursts into spontaneous song, dance, and King Lear soliloquies in the nude. Though there are moments when Simon’s patience with David wears thin, it’s obvious there is a special kinship between the two. Intimately shot and cleverly edited, with Simon’s narration offering a droll sense of calm amidst chaos, Much Ado About Dying is a touching account of the complexities of aging and the burden of care experienced by family members who take on the responsibility.

Best Directing
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) 2022

“One of the biggest hits emerging at IDFA … Simultaneously touching, endearing, and often riotously funny.” Matthew Carey, Deadline

Post-screening discussion with Amanda Brown, RSW

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, series director