A NECESSARY DEATH

(USA, 2008, 101 mins)

HDCAM

Cast: Gilbert John, Matt Tilley, Valerie Hurt, Michael Traynor, Konima Parkinson-Jones
Producer: Brian Udovich, GJ Echternkamp
Director of Photography: Zoltan Honti
Editor: Shilpa Khanna, David Kashevaroff
Music: Morgan Kibby, Jonathan Leahy
Sound Design: Andy Hay

• www.anecessarydeath.com/
• Trailer

The difficulties facing today’s independent filmmakers are immense. In addition to securing financing, mentorship and other support, these artists also need a subject or story worth their time and effort. With exploitation and sensationalism ever more rewarded, how can young artists make a name for themselves? It is in this context that a group of young filmmakers have an incendiary idea: What about filming a person's suicide? Using the popular website Craigslist, they send out a call for proposals. "Documentary filmmaker looking for suicidal individual to follow from first preparation to final act." To their surprise, they receive numerous responses, and they choose a perfect subject. But the arguments don't end there. Exploring, with incisive wit, the growing questions of media ethics in the digital video age, this debut feature by AFI grad Daniel Stamm was shot in and around the AFI campus, highlighting the intensity of every film student's road to discovery. It is an American independent film that should not be missed.

-- Lane Kneedler

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