Parental Grief and Bereavement: Exploring the Impact of Collaboratively Created Films on Audience Members.

Abstract

Film documentaries are an important approach for capturing the public's attention and elevating discussions about uncomfortable or hidden topics such as death and dying, yet little attention has been given to documenting the grief experience of bereaved parents. This article focuses on one specific Collaborative Filmmaking project, Visualizing Loss, and explores the impact of participant-created film from the perspective of the audience members who attended a premiere screening. Audience members were invited to complete a post-screening survey that included questions assessing their knowledge, attitudes and reflections about grief, bereavement, palliative care, and the film. The quantitative data was summarized using descriptive statistics, and the qualitative data was organized and indexed according to common themes, supported by illustrative quotes. Seventy-eight (29%) of the 270 audience members completed the post-screening survey. A majority reported that they were absorbed in the screening (81%) and that the film screening inspired or empowered them (76%). Qualitative comments illustrated that the film deeply resonated with audience members by evoking empathy for parents experiencing loss, offering comfort to those with personal connections, and raising awareness about a rarely discussed issue. These findings underscore the Visualizing Loss film's impact in raising awareness and fostering empathy, making it an effective resource for educating and supporting those affected by grief and loss.