Dying to (love) / Dearly beloved

Doodgraag Danni Heylen and Hans Van Cauwenberghe Een war reporter has seen children die of hunger, seen people shot dead, and looked death in the eye several times himself. But nothing hits him as deeply as his mother's resolute choice for euthanasia. “A person wants to live with dignity, so a person also wants to die with dignity,” she says, while he struggles with disbelief, grief, and powerlessness. A special cast makes this production extra unique: Danni Heylen – as the mother, in a rarely seen, layered dramatic role. Hans Van Cauwenberghe – as the son who endured the war, but not the gentle determination of his mother. Doodgraag is a raw, intimate, and true-to-life conversation between a son and his mother – about loving life and loving death. About how close death only really comes when it enters your own house. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes disarmingly witty, always inexorably honest. This piece wants not only to move, but also to spark the social conversation about euthanasia – with a broad audience, from policymakers and healthcare professionals to loved ones – in collaboration with civil society organizations. Credits: Based on the book 'Memoirs full of life and death' by Patrick Van Gompel Toneeltekst: Paul Govaerts and Patrick Van Gompel Regie: Ignace Cornelissen Productie: De Kwelm, Coproducer : De Nieuwe Bazaar Verkoop: Koortzz Techniek : Sonista Fotografe : Joke De Wilde