“A Love That Never Dies” by Jimmy Edmonds and Jane Harris

“A Love That Never Dies” is a film about death and grief, but it’s also a film about life and love, connection and remembrance.

This profoundly moving documentary was created by filmmakers Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds, whose son, Joshua, died in a road accident in Vietnam in 2011, at the age of 22. “A Love That Never Dies,” is one of the most recent films released by their charity, the Good Grief Project. Read our two-part interview with Jane Harris, where we talk more about their story, charity, and films, here.  

The film follows Jane and Jimmy as they embark on a road trip across the United States to connect with other bereaved parents and siblings who have experienced a loss similar to their own. In doing so, they tell the individual stories of the bereaved, exploring and examining grief, compassionately revealing its unique qualities as well as its commonalities. As Jimmy states in the film, “Everybody grieves in one way or another —  you’re not unique, and you’re also not alone. Finding other bereaved parents became an important thing to do.”

Each story is beautifully and sensitively told, woven together with gorgeous imagery of Jane and Jimmy’s travels through America and their own story of Josh’s death. The honesty and emotional nakedness of both the filmmakers and the people they interview are what makes this film particularly heavy-hitting. Which is the point, I believe — enough with the silence around death and grief, enough with “moving on,” and enough with “closure.” This film is not about letting go of your grief or your child, it’s about connecting with others and remembering. 

And with that, I would also say this isn’t a film just for bereaved parents. It’s for anyone who wants to enrich his or her understanding of grief and loss, who wants to open up the conversation about death, or who wants to know how to better support those who are bereaved.

“A Love That Never Dies” will stick with you for a long time, not just because the topic of grief and death is a naturally raw and contemplative one but because of the overwhelming sense of connection and shared emotions (including “the real good laughs and real good tears”) you will feel with the bereaved families and individuals you meet.

To watch “A Love That Never Dies,” click here (if in Australia and NZ you can watch it via Beamafilms by clicking here), and to learn more about The Good Grief Project click here.