Life asked Death, "Why do people love me but hate you?" Death responded, "Because you are a beautiful lie and I'm a painful truth.” Filmed in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, Life Asked Death tells the story of how the development of palliative care in Asia is driving a revolution in healthcare throughout the region.

The developing world represents over eighty percent of the world's population. People living in these countries typically die younger, have less education and money. Asia is home to sixty percent of the world's population. Many of these people live in developing economies. That means less physical and human resources for essential public services, including health. The burden of a disease like cancer in countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is immense. By the time it's diagnosed, eighty percent of cancers in the developing world are incurable. The result, a vast sea of human suffering. But there is a solution.

Life Asked Death highlights the scale of pain and suffering that needs to be urgently addressed in Asia, and offers insights into the positive outcomes that can be achieved even in resource-limited countries. The documentary brings viewers to Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka to witness how Lien Collaborative's specialist volunteers bring palliative care and training to these countries. When international experts and local stakeholders work together to develop palliative care capacity in the government-run health systems, the barriers to pain relief and humane care can be removed. The short film reveals how palliative care helps to improve the quality of life of patients and uplift their families who are struggling to cope with the suffering and the practical and financial implications of a life-threatening illness. It also uncovers how essential pain medications such as oral morphine can bring relief to patients who are in agony, because of lack of access, awareness and availability of palliative care and pain relief drugs. What is urgently needed are policy changes which will allow the integration of palliative care into health systems to provide patients with better care and greater access to pain relief drugs.

LifeAskedDeath.com

Please note this rental is for private/home viewing only. If you are require a licence to host a screening of the film, please email [email protected]