SECOND ANNUAL FILM SERIES FEB/MAR 2026
THE LAST ECSTATIC DAYS
Tues Feb 24th 6-8pm 2026
Ethan Sisser, a young man with terminal brain cancer, sits alone in his hospital room. When he starts livestreaming his death journey on social media, thousands of people around the world join to celebrate his courage. Still, Ethan envisions more – to teach the world how to die without fear. To do that, he needs to film his death. Dir. Scott Kirschenbaum; 2024, 73 min. MORE ABOUT THIS FILM
END GAME
Tues Mar 10th 6-8pm 2026
Filmed and edited in intimate vérité style, this movie follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death and are dedicated to changing our thinking about both.
Dirs. Rob Epstien, Jeffrey Friedman 2018, 40 min. MORE ABOUT THIS FILM
A FAMILY UNDERTAKING
Tue Mar 24th 6-8pm 2026
What is old is often new again. Most funerals today are part of a multimillion-dollar industry run by professionals. This increased reliance on mortuaries has alienated Americans from life's only inevitability — death. A Family Undertaking explores the growing home funeral movement by following several families in their most intimate moments as they reclaim the end of life, forgoing a typical mortuary funeral to care for their loved ones at home.
Dir. Elizabeth Westrate; PBS 2004, 57 min. MORE
2026 FACILITATORS
Betsy McDonald, Qigong instructor, End-of-Life Doula, Educator
Betsy McDonald, Qigong instructor, End-of-Life Doula, Educator
Betsy McDonald, Qigong instructor, End-of-Life Doula, Educator
3/24/26 A FAMILY UNDERTAKING
Betsy McDonald is a mother, wife, friend, writer, podcaster, retired public school educator and a Wisdom Healing Qigong Teacher trained @ The Chi Center in New Mexico.
In addition, she is am a Mesa carrier in the Q’ero Shaman tradition of the Peruvian Andes and an End of Life Doula certified by the University o
3/24/26 A FAMILY UNDERTAKING
Betsy McDonald is a mother, wife, friend, writer, podcaster, retired public school educator and a Wisdom Healing Qigong Teacher trained @ The Chi Center in New Mexico.
In addition, she is am a Mesa carrier in the Q’ero Shaman tradition of the Peruvian Andes and an End of Life Doula certified by the University of Vermont Medical School. She blends these trainings and medicines and more in her work with students and clients, creating a unique experience for each person in their healing and end of life journeys.
Hari Khalsa, RN End-of-Life Doula
Betsy McDonald, Qigong instructor, End-of-Life Doula, Educator
Betsy McDonald, Qigong instructor, End-of-Life Doula, Educator
Co-founder of SIGHT, Hari is a compassionate nurse and death doula dedicated to supporting individuals at the end of life and inspiring people to embrace mortality as a means of living each moment fully.
Hari’s journey began at age 19 when she became a massage therapist, honing her healing touch and presence for over 20 years. After gradu
Co-founder of SIGHT, Hari is a compassionate nurse and death doula dedicated to supporting individuals at the end of life and inspiring people to embrace mortality as a means of living each moment fully.
Hari’s journey began at age 19 when she became a massage therapist, honing her healing touch and presence for over 20 years. After graduating from Duke University School of Nursing in 2017, she spent many years in hospice care, gaining invaluable experience in compassionate end-of-life support. Additionally, growing up in a meditation community shaped her empathetic approach and heightened her energetic sensitivity. She has faced profound losses, including the deaths of her mother during her teenage years and her husband in her twenties, shaping her commitment to this sacred work.
An advocate for natural burial and home funerals, she believes in the sanctity of the dying process. With deep gratitude to her teacher, Roshi Sanchi Reta Lawler, Hari offers a nurturing presence that honors the sacred transition of life’s final chapter. She has lived in Mammoth Lakes, CA since 2022 and feels most alive when dancing, skiing, hiking, biking, and cold water plunging.
2026 FACILITATORS
Jennifer Knochel, Eco-Chaplain
Jane Valentine Hsu, Green Burial Council
Jane Valentine Hsu, Green Burial Council
2/24/26 The Last Ecstatic Days
Jennifer is a cook, teacher, end of life doula, adventurer, and lover of the earth. She has been
cooking for meditation retreats for 18 years. Her practice of food gathering and food preparing is
rooted in community, love, and care for the earth. She is also trained in Mindfulness Facilitation
through the UCLA M
2/24/26 The Last Ecstatic Days
Jennifer is a cook, teacher, end of life doula, adventurer, and lover of the earth. She has been
cooking for meditation retreats for 18 years. Her practice of food gathering and food preparing is
rooted in community, love, and care for the earth. She is also trained in Mindfulness Facilitation
through the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center and is an Eco-Chaplain. Jennifer offers
presence and deep listening to support in the cultivation of trusting in oneself and in the unique paths we all walk.
Jane Valentine Hsu, Green Burial Council
Jane Valentine Hsu, Green Burial Council
Jane Valentine Hsu, Green Burial Council
Co-founder of SIGHT, Jane is a visionary arts leader and curator of banned Chinese documentaries, connecting audiences with powerful, unseen stories. She has led prominent New York institutions like the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. She is a senior advisor for ACG, specializing in nonprofit board m
Co-founder of SIGHT, Jane is a visionary arts leader and curator of banned Chinese documentaries, connecting audiences with powerful, unseen stories. She has led prominent New York institutions like the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. She is a senior advisor for ACG, specializing in nonprofit board management, and serves as Development Director for the Bishop Area Climbers’ Coalition and is part of the fundraising committee for the Green Burial Council. Jane holds a BFA from The Cooper Union, an MBA from Metropolitan College, and an MA in film studies from Columbia University.
Jane hopes to use art to engage community with workshops, artist residencies, and public art projects that bring people together. Jane envisions SIGHT as a unique and powerful connector of people, places, and ideas where art can be a bridge between cultures, a catalyst for social change, and a source of inspiration.
Now residing in the breathtaking Eastern Sierra, she is committed to fostering a vibrant cultural landscape that inspires creativity and spirituality for all.
Live Full - Die Well Film Series invites you on a cinematic journey that will challenge your perspectives, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire you to embrace life with renewed purpose.
LOCATION: C5 Studios, Community Arts Center, 210 S. Warren Street, Bishop, CA
Glimpse below from our first annual film series in 2025
