Ethan Sisser, a young man afflicted with brain cancer, sits alone in his hospital room. When he begins live-streaming his death journey on social media, thousands of people around the world join him and celebrate his courage. Still, Ethan envisions more – to teach the world how to die. To honor his final wish of filming his death, his doctor, Aditi Sethi, transports him to a quiet house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. What unfolds next is a story that's rarely glimpsed: how a community of strangers helps an unhoused man die on his own terms.

A sensory immersion into leaving the body, The Last Ecstatic Days reveals a man who will not let us forget him – even after he’s taken his final breath.

Post-Screening Discussion:

Gary RossReynolds, PhD, RN End-of-Life Doula

As a Peace Corps volunteer, psychologist, nurse, and death doula, Gary's focus has been a life of service. As a doula who is gay, he is especially interested in focusing on end-of-life considerations of importance to the LGBTQIA+ community. Gary is a member of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying , a nonprofit in Swannanoa, NC which provides free 24/7 nonmedical care to people in their last two months of life.

Michael Sigmann, Gay Wisdom Elder

Impacted by the devastation caused by the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, Michael founded the Men’s Inner Journey, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing programs designed to assist gay men with the healing process. In recognition of his work, Michael received a Certificate of Honor from the City of San Francisco in 2001, and was awarded beneficiary of a GRGR-WEST, Folsom Street Fair event in 2005. His experience as a keynote speaker/facilitator includes, Gay Spirit Visions Atlanta, Gay City Seattle and the California Men’s Gathering. Recently, Michael completed the Direct Care Training Program at CCLD in Asheville, where he hopes to continue his journey as an educator of two-spirit wisdom.

Beth Starling, Outreach Coordinator "The Last Ecstatic Days"

Beth is a student at UNC Asheville specializing in documentary filmmaking. Having spent over a decade as a primary caregiver for loved ones with dementia, she feels a special calling and connection to the message of “The Last Ecstatic Days.” Beth is fulfilled by the opportunity to tell and uplift meaningful stories through media and community engagement. She holds a BS in English and graduates May 2024 with a BA in mass communication and a minor in psychology. She has served as a documentary historian and volunteer coordinator for the Asheville nonprofit The Surreal Sirkus Arts Festival, and she is the 2024 volunteer coordinator for the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. Beth has also been initiated in a Q’ero tradition of Peru as a P’aqo of the Western P’aqo Nan though completing Advanced Shamanic Practitioner training with Green Tara College, Ireland.

"The Last Ecstatic Days": LGBTQIA+ Friendly Virtual Screening with Gary Ross-Reynolds, Michael Sigmann and Beth Starling

An opportunity to watch a life-affirming film about dying with love.