Departures

No, it's not a book.  But it develops with the beauty and subtle awe of a great novel, which is why I feel compelled to discuss it here.   

Departures is a Japanese film which won an academy award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars.  It's the story of a young male cellist, Diago, who finds himself out of work when the orchestra he performs with dissolves.  As a result, he moves back to his hometown with his wife to the house his mother left him.  There, he begins looking for work when he finds an ad for someone to assist with "departures".  Diago is uncertain what the job entails, but assumes it must relate to travel.  While interviewing, he discovers, however, that "departures" is in reference to death: the job requires Diago to assist in preparing bodies in front of mourners before placing them in a coffin.  Not without hesitation, Diago accepts the position, primarily because of the pay. 

From that point, we see Diago and his wife struggle with his new role, and we meet endearing members of the community.  We also glimpse into Diago's childhood and grow to understand the significance of his being a cellist.  What's most fascinating, though, is observing and coming to understand the ceremony of death in Japanese culture. In the film, we repeatedly see Diago clean, dress and make-up the deceased with the grace of playing cello.  In turn, we see how the elaborate and intimate process enables family and friends to come to terms with the death of a loved one. 

There's much more to this film that my oversimplified summary.  The snapshots, sounds, symbols, characters and narrative all work together to create a beautiful work of art.  And while Westerners may at first cringe to see the unusual death ceremony played out in film, they will likely grow to appreciate it by the movie's end.