Gail Rubin speaking

Funny films can help break the ice about serious subjects – medical care, end-of-life issues, estate planning, and funeral planning. Certified Thanatologist Gail Rubin is a death educator who brings a light touch to serious subjects with humor and clips from movies and television shows that help audiences learn and remember important lessons.

Her presentations qualify for continuing education credits for medical professionals, hospice and social workers, attorneys, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals who need CEUs. Look for the seal of continuing education credit approval from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice.

Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, offers a number of film presentations including full length films, 60- to 90-minute sessions with film clips, and longer workshops. DOWNLOAD A LIST OF TALKS HERE

Check out these program descriptions:

Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning

Can comedy help us plan better for death? Absolutely. Using clips from comedy films and television programs, Gail illustrates the decisions families face before and after a death. Audiences learn practical ways to reduce stress and conflict, save money, communicate their wishes and create a meaningful “good goodbye.” Just as talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals won’t make you dead, and your family will benefit from the conversation.

The Many Faces of Grief: Mourning in the Movies

Grief doesn’t follow a tidy timetable, and people don’t all mourn in the same way. Using memorable scenes from popular films and television programs, Gail explores different grieving styles, disenfranchised grief, mourning rituals, resilience and other concepts from thanatology, the study of death, dying and bereavement. Film provides an accessible way to recognize the many ways grief can look and feel.

Estate Planning: Hollywood Myths Versus Facts

According to Hollywood, the dramatic reading of the will settles everything, funeral instructions belong in the will, and long-lost relatives regularly inherit fortunes. Reality is considerably messier. Clips from comedies and dramas illustrate common misconceptions about wills, executors, inheritance and funeral instructions while demonstrating why estate planning needs to happen today, not “someday.”

Ashes to Ashes, Dust in Your Face: Cremation, Comedy and Creativity

Cremation has become the leading form of disposition in the United States, but many families know surprisingly little about what happens before, during and after the process. Using funny and serious film clips, Gail explains the choices families need to make, what can be done with cremated remains, and why discussing those choices before a death can prevent confusion and conflict afterward.

The Funeral Director on Film

Hollywood has portrayed funeral directors as everything from solemn professionals to comic eccentrics and downright creepy characters. Through scenes from comedies and dramas spanning decades, Gail explores the history of undertaking in the United States, changing perceptions of funeral professionals and practical lessons about funeral planning. It’s an entertaining look at “the last person to let you down.”

Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film

What happens between a Jewish death and the unveiling of a headstone? Using scenes from film and television, Gail illuminates Jewish traditions surrounding death and dying, care of the body, funerals, burial, shiva, mourning and remembrance. The program highlights both differences and similarities with Christian practices and is especially valuable for interfaith families and communities.

To book Gail Rubin for any of these presentations, contact her at 505.265.7215 or email Gail [at] AGoodGoodbye.com.