Beyond Our Stars

Death is a topic that children rarely talk about, although at times it’s something they have to deal with. What ideas do they have about dying and how do they see life? What are their experiences with death, and what do they think comes after it? In a relaxed atmosphere, a group of children aged nine and older exchange thoughts with elderly people, sometimes responding to each other as well. For one group, death seems distant, while for the other it is closer.

These cleverly edited conversations form the basis of Beyond Our Stars. A girl explains how she felt at her grandfather’s funeral—while she was very sad, the adults mostly seemed to be happy. The stories are illustrated with cut-out animations to which the children have clearly contributed. Both a living and a dead rabbit feature as characters. The speakers themselves also appear briefly—not talking, but watching, laughing and dancing. Perhaps it is liberating to talk about death and the emotions it brings.