Films & Legacy Film Making
Films and Legacy Film Making
Through its Remembering A Life film contest, NFDA has curated a collection of legacy films you can use in your community to help families understand the power of storytelling and inspire them to tell stories about their loved ones. NFDA is making eight of the films available to you to use with your families and in your communities. Each tells the story of an ordinary person who lived an extraordinary life by living passionately and having a positive impact on the lives of their loved ones. The films portray a variety of topics, including veterans, memorialization, death by suicide, civil rights, family history, art and making a difference in the community.
Make it Work for You
1. Feature Films on Your Website
All eight films are available for members to post on their website using embed code provided by NFDA. Be thoughtful of how and where you post them, being mindful of the content and where to best place so they are well-received. One of the films tells the story of a man who died by suicide; please be particular mindful regarding placement of this film. The film tells a beautiful story, but suicide is obviously a very sensitive subject.
2. Host a Film Showing at a Community Event or Open House
An in-person community event is one of the best ways to introduce families in your community to the power of storytelling. It encourages discussion among attendees and gives you an ideal opportunity to speak with them about their loved ones and how they would memorialize a loved one in film. The event could take place in your funeral home, or at a business or organization in your community.
3. Share Films with Your Families in Person
Whether you’re meeting with a family to plan a funeral in advance or at time of need, the Remembering A Life films can help demonstrate the importance of paying tribute to loved ones and inspire them to consider how they might memorialize a loved one. They may not choose to create a film, but the film can help family members understand the power of telling a loved one’s story.
- Show one or two films that are appropriate for the family based on their specific circumstances. (For example, if the funeral will be for a veteran, you may want to show George Banda.) Be very thoughtful when considering whether to show the film related to death by suicide if the family has recently experienced a death by suicide. It may not be appropriate for all families.
- If the family is interested in creating their own legacy film, give them a copy of our how-to guide.
Legacy Film Making
Chances are you’ve featured photo boards or a photo slide show at many funerals over the years. Increasingly, families are looking for new and personal ways to honor the memory of a loved one. Legacy film making is one way to do that.
A legacy film is, quite simply, a short film that preserves the stories, personality and legacy of an individual or family. Films can be created by the family using a smartphone and simple editing software, or a professional can be hired to create a film from start to finish.
Working with Families Who Want to Create a Film
Show families some of the Remembering A Life films as examples of what has been done. You can show films during the planning process and/or feature them on your website.
Discuss legacy film making with your preneed families. Families that are planning ahead are most likely to have the time to create films about their loved ones.
If you have a filmmaker in your community (it could even be a student), connect with him or her and discuss opportunities for you to refer interested families to use their services.
