The Last Days of Extraordinary Lives film poster
How and why did the Bacon’s take the plunge into filmmaking? As film lovers and script writers, they had been dabbling in filmmaking for years before the creation of The Last Days of Extraordinary Lives. The Bacon’s listened to stories told over the years with two of their photo clients – Good Shepherd Hospice Medical Social Worker, Angela Ricketts, and Hospice Compassus Patient Care Supervisor and Admissions Coordinator, Jan Roselman. The uplifting stories impacted the Bacon’s greatly, and they knew they had to share the fantastic stories about living and life with the public. Roselman says, “This is a film about dying to live and not living to die.”
A simple plan that started with a photo exhibit blossomed within months into a full-length documentary film encompassing over 17 individuals, including a 2-year-old, an Amish family and a 43-year-old with with AIDS. Doctors, chaplains, nurses and family members also pour their hearts out in this 90 minute tribute to living life with joy during last days of life. Film Director and Cinematographer, Randy Bacon says, “Did our subjects talk about love? Yes. Did they talk about family? Yes. Did they talk about sitting at the table and playing Scrabble? Yes. Did they talk about, wow, I just didn’t make enough money? No they didn’t.”
The idea of the film caught on in the community and the following committed organizations and individuals are producing: Executive Producer: Good Shepherd Hospice of Springfield; Producers: St. John’s HospiceCare; Hospice Compassus of Springfield and Osceola; Associate Producers; Community Hospices of America Foundation; Mike and Jan Roselman; Angela Ricketts; Sam Stover and Billie Klingaman; Bistro Market by Price Cutter; Howard and Nadia Cavner and family; KOSMA Mobile X-Ray and the McQueary family, in memory of Shirley and Bill McQueary.
After the debut, the film will be submitted to film festivals around the country and will be featured at special events within our community and across the nation. As a result of the passion of the Bacon’s and the producers, The Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF), a component of The Community Foundation of the Ozarks, was established in order to continue to assist people to obtain services that enhance the emotional, physical and spiritual quality of their last days of life. ELF was created to make an exceptional impact by providing a face, voice and vehicle that speaks to the imminent needs of people facing end of life concerns. Proceeds from the film debut will be donated to the ELF. Call 417-868-8179 for more information.
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