Self-Chosen Death in Documentary Film
Films play a crucial role in shaping political and social debates on assisted dying, rendering abstract ethical dilemmas palpable through compelling stories and powerful imagery. One such example is Jackie the Wolf (2023), a documentary by Tuki Jencquel.
The film follows Jacqueline Jencquel, the filmmaker’s mother, a healthy Frenchwoman who publicly declared her intention to die in Switzerland at 75. In her book Terminer en beauté (Ending in Beauty), she articulated her belief that she was “old enough to die,” a conviction she explores further in the documentary, where she draws a parallel between her own experience and that of Richard Gärtner, the 78-year-old protagonist of Ferdinand von Schirach’s play Gott. Jackie the Wolf portrays Jacqueline’s determined yet conflicted journey toward assisted death at 76, capturing both her steadfast resolve and the moments of doubt that punctuate it.
The screening of the Swiss premier of Jackie the Wolf is presented by the Collegium Helveticum in cooperation with the Filmpodium. It will be followed by a Q&A with Tuki Jencquel, film scholar Outi Hakola, author of Filming Death (2024), literary scholar Marc Keller, author of Sterbehilfe als Liebestod (2024), and Anna Elsner, PI of Assisted Lab.
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The Collegium Helveticum is the joint Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) of the ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the Zurich University of the Arts. We aim to provide a meeting place and forum for dialogue between the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, engineering, medical science and the arts.