Much Ado About Dying is a documentary that came about when filmmaker Simon Chambers finds his life turned upside down when he is called to care for his aging Uncle David.
Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. David’s anarchic spirit is unbreakable. He fights with Simon, refusing to go into a care home, insisting on dying in the squalor of his unheated tumble-down house. He can’t remember where he put his false teeth but he still knows nearly all the lines from his beloved Shakespeare plays. David’s real life starts to echo “King Lear”, the play about an old man going mad and giving his kingdom away, as David starts giving away thousands of pounds to a hot sexy “helper”.
There are special Q&A event screenings taking place of the film:Irish Film Institute, Dublin – Q&A 10th May
Palás Cinema, Galway – Q&A 11th May
Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin – Q&A 12th May
Omniplex Limerick – Q&A 13th May
Omniplex Cork – Q&A 14th May
Omniplex Rathmines, Dublin – Q&A 17th May
Omniplex Belfast – Q&A 18th May
Queens Film Theatre, Belfast – Q&A 19th May
Century Cinema, Letterkenny – Q&A 19th May
Omniplex Derry – Q&A 20th May
Simon Chambers won the award for Best Directing, International Competition at the 2022 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Much Ado About Dying played at a number of international festivals including Hot Docs Festival, DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival, and more.
The film’s score is by the award-winning composer Irene Buckley, whose score for NOTHING COMPARES, following the career of celebrated singer Sinéad O’Connor, received a Cinema Eye Honor nomination for Outstanding Original Score and an IFTA nomination for Best Original Music.
Produced by BAFTA winner David Rane, Much Ado About Dying is a tough watch, but a MUST watch. It says as much about the man in the film as it does about the man who made it. And makes you wonder how do we deal with and care for our relatives who are living longer than ever?
Much Ado About Dying ★★★★
