Liz Carr explains reasoning behind title of Better Off Dead? documentary
The new documentary comes out later this month.
This article includes discussion of assisted suicide that some readers may find upsetting.
Actress and disability rights activist Liz Carr is fronting new BBC documentary, Better Off Dead?, which will be landing on our screens next week.
The film will explore the controversial topic of assisted dying, or euthanasia, which has long sparked debate, and the title of the documentary itself is sure to capture people's attention.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press at a Q&A, Carr explained more about the title of the documentary and said: “I mean, let's not forget the question mark at the end. You could leave [it] off, to be fair, but it was obviously a provocation to consider.
"And I think the fact, you know, when I've talked about as a disabled woman, having people say that, to me, just a trip in a cab. Why do we think that?
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"Why is it that to be like me, to be disabled or even older, terrifies us so much? Because that's at the core of this. And so, better off dead... I want you to open the show and go, ‘If we see one group of people, some negative gearing, it's not safe to legalise assisted suicide, because people already think that we almost deserve it.'"
The new documentary comes to BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday 14th May at 9pm and will see Carr front it after having been a campaigner against a change in the law of the legalisation of assisted suicide for some time now.
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According to the synopsis for Better Off Dead?: "This year, a House of Commons Select Committee has for the first time launched an enquiry into the legalisation of assisted suicide, with its findings set to influence future government policy.
"Concerned that any change in the law sends the message that the lives of disabled and marginalised people are less valuable, Liz will take an in-depth look at the issue, speaking to people from all sides of the debate. She will also travel to Canada to explore the repercussions of some of the most permissive euthanasia laws in the world. Here she will be confronted with a law for people who are disabled, and not just the terminally ill."
Read more:
- Liz Carr's documentary on assisted dying Better Off Dead? gets air date
- The Jinx director on 'sadness' he felt watching Robert Durst's apparent confession
Carr is no stranger to our screens, having starred in various hit shows like Good Omens, Silent Witness, The Witcher and This Is Going to Hurt.
On the announcement of the documentary, Carr said: “Too many disabled people will have had the experience of someone, often a complete stranger, telling them, 'if I was like you, I’d rather be dead'.
"Putting such low value on our lives has been reported in medical settings when disabled and older people have 'do not resuscitate' orders placed on their medical notes without their consent. This documentary is about challenging the assumptions behind these actions and shining a light on the many grey areas in this often one sided debate."
Carr continued: "I'm pro-choice, an atheist, a rights campaigner and assisted suicide scares me. I want everyone to have a good death and through this documentary, I hope to show why I'm unconvinced that any type of 'assisted dying' is the answer to this."
Better Off Dead? will air on Tuesday 14th May at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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