Composed primarily of workplace tableaux from the Swedish funeral trade, Carl Olsson’s Meanwhile on Earth takes viewers into seldom-seen corners and conversations with those who make a living from the business of dying. Patiently paced, and by turns sober and comic, the film artfully observes funerary workers via long takes as it subtly evokes a sense of a grounded spirit’s perspective on the afterlife. From chasmal crematorium to pastoral cemetery to hearse ride-along, the commonly dark subject of death finds light(ness) in the film’s use of humor and musical elements, all the while acknowledging the gravity of the end, and the industry surrounding it, with uncommon sensitivity. A deadpan dramedy of manners and the mundane emerges, inviting empathy and introspection.  TM

Filmmaker Q&A available

This film is only available to viewers in the United States