Starting with a small conversation and screening of “Grief Astronomers” 35mins followed by Q&A diving into love, loss and grief, learn how to navigate these landscapes in our turbulent, modern times with Alexandra Derwen (they/them). 30 years a death doula, the founder of a now global school of Death and Grief doulas, a poet, a pilgrim and a social entrepreneur visiting from North Wales, Alexandra is a skilled facilitator and master wordsmith on the topic of death, grief and loss.
Film is English language subtitled in German
This film was shot just 40 days after the death of Alexandra’s mother in 2024, in their home in North Wales and follows the Death Doula course retreat that forms part of the Journey with Death programme. Its original working title was “Death is our Teacher” and yet, as the days together unfolded the story became one of Grief and Lament, both personal and collective. The name “Grief Astronomers” is inspired by a poem by the late, great, Andrea Gibson and was quoted by one of the participants. How did such private people come into close and intimate proximity with a film crew and still access such authentic catharsis? The film asks more questions than it answers and follows the cathartic path of 5 participants encountering together the wildest edges of their sorrow and finding joy.
