Deutsche Presse Agentur
Elderly New Zealanders with a macabre hobby are the stars of a new musical documentary.
Filmmaker Briar March’s The Coffin Club, released online on Friday, portrays a group of senior citizens who build and paint their own low-cost coffins.
Based in Rotorua, in the North Island, the group meets once a week to rejoice in life while facing the realities of death.
It started in 2010 when former palliative nurse Katie Williams was pondering new activities for the elderly.
The now-78-year-old had little knowledge of carpentry so brought together some friends with the necessary backgrounds and the club was soon up and running.
March said she decided to make the film as a documentary musical because she thought the mix of genres would demonstrate there was still so much to celebrate when facing mortality.
“We have been utterly amazed and in awe of our cast of seniors who have had the courage to sing and dance and perform for the camera,” she said, with the oldest dancer going on 94.
The film is part of Loading Docs, a New Zealand initiative that hosts short documentaries.
