In Ömer Sami’s documentary short, a man’s wish to be cryogenically frozen after death raises questions for his wife and children.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00When the day comes, you'll have to alert Cryonics UK immediately.
00:24If they are unable to revive me, a doctor will pronounce me legally dead.
00:31I'll be placed in an ice bath, my blood will be drained and replaced with a kind of antifreeze.
00:41I'll be transferred to the Cryonics Institute in Michigan and stored in a vat of liquid
00:46nitrogen at 196°C, in a state of dreamless sleep.
00:56I'll stay there until medical technology has advanced enough for me to be reanimated.
01:05It's the end of one life and the beginning of another.
01:09I love you all.
01:12Bye for now.
01:16I love you all.
01:23Bye for now.
01:28Bye.
01:46Blow, blow, blow, blow, blow.
02:04Blast off.
02:07You got wax on your cake.
02:09No, it's beeswax.
02:13Can I remove this?
02:18Yes, you can.
02:19Look, you've got wax there.
02:20It's fine, it's OK.
02:21This is burning my fingers.
02:22It's not, has you?
02:23It's like a light.
02:24Like you always eat it.
02:25Watch the wax.
02:26Oh!
02:27It's hot.
02:28Wait, wait, wait.
02:29There's wax there.
02:30Just a little bit.
02:31It's just like a sting.
02:32Would you try the flour?
02:33What do you want to do?
02:34You need to remove the wax.
02:35It just flies by.
02:36Yeah, it flies.
02:37At the time, it doesn't feel like it.
02:39At the time, it doesn't feel like it's flying by.
02:41When you look back, you think, oh my god.
02:44I thought you said, why fly?
02:46Flies by.
02:48So quickly.
02:50Disconnected from age.
02:53I have one more year left in high school.
02:56What does it feel like?
02:57It feels weird.
02:58Does it feel you're getting old, or?
03:01I don't feel old.
03:02And that's it?
03:03You're not saying anything?
03:04No, I'm not saying anything.
03:05No, I don't feel old.
03:06I don't feel old.
03:07And that's it? You're not seeing me as an old-age pensioner now?
03:10No, I don't really, I don't.
03:12You know what we see?
03:14We don't see, cos you and Mummy D are different age,
03:18but we don't see...
03:19Yes, we have a bigger...
03:20What, 25 years difference?
03:22I'm 33 now.
03:23Yeah? Daddy's just 59.
03:25So 26!
03:27I told you.
03:28How is it to be 59?
03:30Yeah, it feels good. I don't feel 59.
03:33You don't look 59.
03:34In my mind, I don't feel 59.
03:36I feel about...
03:3713.
03:38No, I feel younger than that.
03:40What, 20? 10?
03:41I'm still...
03:4218?
03:43I feel like I'm, you know, just...
03:44Teen?
03:45Near end of school time.
03:46End of school, what school? Primary or...?
03:4816, 17, 18, 19.
03:50Oh, right, high school.
03:51That's the way I feel, in my mind.
04:04Good morning, it's Nass from Virgin Media.
04:06Right.
04:07I'm your install engineer.
04:09I'm on my way to your house.
04:10Should be there for about eight o'clock.
04:12All right, thanks a lot, mate.
04:13OK, thank you.
04:15Hey!
04:18HE SOBS
04:30So, can you read the bottom line of letters, please?
04:33I don't know how to.
04:35I go to the library, I've never seen a letter before.
04:37I'm just going to read.
04:38It's really hard, isn't it?
04:39Yeah.
04:40So, in your book, you talk about,
04:42line of letters, please. I can't, no. Top line of letters? V or 12, I think. Okay, I'm going to add
04:52some lenses. Tell me if it becomes sharper. So, is that better? Yes, it's better. Your eyesight,
05:01compared to last time, they have deteriorated. Oh, has it? Also, the distance has changed a
05:06little bit on your right eye as well. Right. Sometimes we can see the vessels break and they
05:11can hemorrhage. That could be early signs of diabetes. Also, it could be other vascular
05:16problems like blood pressure and so on. So, you'll get this question a lot. Dead is dead,
05:38right? Is that what? People say dead is dead, right? And the answer is no, fortunately not.
05:46There are actually lots of definitions. So, you've got clinical death, which just means no vital
05:51signs and you can be recovered from clinical death with the aid of defib or other such methods.
05:58You've got legal death, which means that someone has said this person is dead and I'm recording
06:03it as a legal fact. Again, reversible because you could do that by mistake.
06:08Right. When is someone really dead? And the answer is when you decide.
06:19Okay. So, the surgical bit would be blood wash out, cryoprotective perfusion. There's a high
06:28risk of it going horribly wrong. And when people inquire, they usually imagine three or four little
06:33risks that they think are potentially horrific, when in fact there's 300 risks that are potentially
06:39horrific. If you've decided this is which way you want to go, like I did, how do you sign up?
06:46Our role is typically an emergency with no sign up. And it's the most difficult because a relative
06:53will phone up and they'll say, granny's dying, mom's dying, brother's dying. And then you have
06:58to explain to them what cryonics is, why they need to give lots of money to a complete stranger who
07:03they don't know anything about, and why it's a good idea. If people are planning ahead, you've got
07:09to have family support. Yeah.
07:33If you get buried, that's it, isn't it? There's no way that a buried person is going to just rot away and
07:56end up, and cremation will give no chance. All right.
08:00But there may be no chance also in cryonics, but it's still a percentage rather than zero percentage.
08:06You're taking that risk. You're willing to take that risk. Yeah. If the average age is 70 for males,
08:15I've only got 10 years, you know, that's what comes to my mind. I want to see you get married,
08:21you get married, see your, you know, children. I'm fortunate to look at what I've got left now,
08:28rather than looking forward to... I mean, it's a cycle of humans. It's what they go through.
08:34I know, I know. I'm going to break the cycle. Break the cycle, yes.
08:57But today, for those who see the prospect of immortality, there's a new and less permanent
09:19resting place. Here in California's San Fernando Valley, the start of a silent revolution which
09:25could affect the future of the world. In those capsules, people who are determined to live twice,
09:33who prefer the freezer to the grave. The first of the die now, live later group.
09:40Men and women, frozen solid in their cylinders, waiting for the future.
09:44And they believe, cheating death.
09:50Mum, you want to do this. Which one?
09:53Cryonics.
09:57That's amazing.
09:59No, it's not no. I won't say no.
10:03Well, are you going to do it?
10:05No.
10:07Are you going to do it?
10:09She said, I don't know.
10:11Are you going to do it?
10:13She said, I don't know.
10:15I don't know.
10:17Yet.
10:19Really?
10:21I'm not sure yet.
10:23You're not sure yet?
10:25Not sure yet.
10:27OK.
10:29Hi honey.
10:31Are you OK?
10:33Yeah, honey. How are you?
10:35I'm all right. Just a late night again.
10:37Yeah, I know.
10:41Yeah, I know.
11:11Oh.
11:13Oh.
11:15Oh.
11:17Oh.
11:19Oh.
11:21Oh.
11:23Oh.
11:25Oh.
11:27Oh.
11:29Oh.
11:31Oh.
11:33Oh.
11:35Oh.
11:37Oh.
11:39Oh.
11:41Oh.
11:43Oh.
11:45Oh.
11:47Oh.
11:49Oh.
11:51Oh.
11:53Oh.
11:55Oh.
11:59Oh.
12:01Oh.
12:03Hello.
12:05Hi honey.
12:07How was your final?
12:09Er, we lost. You lost?
12:112-0.
12:13So, how did you play?
12:15Good, I guess. Yeah?
12:17Yeah.
12:19Erm...
12:21It's really annoying, to be honest, that I couldn't be there.
12:23Just because I work.
12:25Next time, definitely.
12:27OK.
12:29Look at you.
12:31Yes, sir.
12:33Look at you.
12:38Right.
12:40I'd better get going.
12:42My time's up.
12:48It's his choice.
12:50How do you feel, Daddy G,
12:52spending all this money on cryonics?
12:54Erm...
12:56Embarrassing.
12:58What?! Embarrassing?
13:00Embarrassing? How?
13:02You heard that because of Zara.
13:04How? Like...
13:07If he spends all...
13:09the money...
13:11we'll probably have to beg.
13:13No.
13:15If Danny used some of his money
13:17for the cryonics.
13:19Not all.
13:21Do you think, Hajji,
13:23really,
13:25you think you'll still be
13:27living here without no money?
13:29Erm, yes.
13:31Begging.
13:33Hajji, I can't
13:35believe you're going to do that.
13:37If I see you out on the streets,
13:39begging, I'm going to be like,
13:41that's not my brother, I don't know him.
13:43That'd be weird.
13:45And then we meet again.
13:47200 years later.
13:49Lie down and then wake up
13:51next to each other.
13:53Do you want it with memories,
13:55like you remember each other and all?
13:57Obviously.
13:59Oh, hello!
14:01OK, Daddy G wakes up now.
14:03Hello, Daddy G!
14:05Hello, Daddy G!
14:07My children!
14:09I didn't even recognise you.
14:11How does it feel to be back alive?
14:13Baji finally got married.
14:15I didn't get married, I'll never ever get married.
14:17Zain Hajji
14:19passed college.
14:21Baji...
14:23I became a police officer.
14:25And I became a footballer.
14:27Zaira became a doctor.
14:29Footballer.
14:31It feels so different without Mummy G.
14:33I know, right?
14:35I wish Mummy G would be here.
14:37I know, everything feels
14:39different now.
14:41But that's the way life is.
14:51Why not remember
14:53your mum's death anniversary
14:55and plans to
14:57change something on your mum's grave?
14:59I know, I need to do that.
15:01I'd do everything else and, again,
15:03I feel so guilty.
15:05Why?
15:07You find it difficult to go there?
15:09Well, aside from being...
15:11Knowing that she's no longer with us.
15:13You know, cos I was very, very close
15:15with her and, you know, I miss her so much.
15:17You know,
15:19I had a phone call and I
15:21would run across my mum's, literally
15:23in the middle of my food,
15:25I need to go. You know, my mum needs me.
15:29I need to go.
15:31I need to go.
15:39She was
15:41so much into her religion.
15:43How can somebody
15:45who devoted their whole life
15:47to God
15:49die a horrible death
15:51from cancer?
15:53That's not right.
15:55If there's somebody
15:57who knows, how could you do that?
16:01And I still remember
16:03the body bag came.
16:07Me and my brothers and
16:09class family members picking
16:11the body up and putting it,
16:13zipping up.
16:21And that's why I think I struggled.
16:23To go to the grave?
16:25To go to the grave because I just can't handle it.
16:27I really struggle going there.
16:29And I should.
16:31I shouldn't struggle.
16:55Oooo
16:57Oooo
16:59Oooo
17:01Oooo
17:03Oooo
17:05Oooo
17:07Oooo
17:09Oooo
17:11Oooo
17:13Oooo
17:15Oooo
17:17Oooo
17:19Oooo
17:21Oooo
17:23Oooo
17:25Oooo
17:27Oooo
17:29Oooo
17:31Oooo
17:33Oooo
17:35Oooo
17:37Oooo
17:39Oooo
17:41Oooo
17:43What?
17:47What's that?
17:49What's that in the back garden?
17:51Oh
17:53Huh?
17:55Where was it?
17:57What now?
17:59It has bugs in it.
18:01You should put it in ice.
18:03No, it's squashed Haji.
18:05No
18:07No, don't worry it.
18:09Keep it alive.
18:11Over there.
18:13It's encumbered all.
18:15Just give me it.
18:19I'm going to put it in the freezer.
18:21What do you mean freezer?
18:23It's not going to go back alive.
18:25It's already squashed.
18:27I don't care.
18:29No, you're going to put it in the fridge.
18:31I'm just checking.
18:33How big do we have to do the hole?
18:35You're going to bury it.
18:37We can put the ice with it.
18:39Okay then.
18:41Put it in then.
19:09Good morning.
19:27Even the kids are saying
19:29we might do that now.
19:31The only downside
19:33is coming back and not knowing anybody.
19:35And that's the thing honey,
19:37why I have
19:39second thoughts about it.
19:43It's just like any relationship I suppose.
19:45You know when you break up
19:47and you have to start
19:49fresh.
19:51You know you're going to be
19:53I mean similar to you
19:55I suppose because you knew
19:57to a point that
19:59when you came to the UK
20:03it's a new start.
20:07And you don't know when you're next going to see your family again.
20:09Yes.
20:11You know what I mean?
20:27You alright?
20:29It's just...
20:33It's just every time they talk about
20:35it.
20:39Come on, it's okay.
20:41What are you thinking?
20:47You alright?
20:49It's just
20:51this kind of talk
20:53you know it makes me...
20:55It's upsetting, I know.
21:01You alright?
21:03It's hard for me, I worry all the time.
21:33I feel
21:55like Mama G.
21:57I do and don't want to do it
21:59because
22:01I don't know why. I just have it in my mind that I do and I don't.
22:07Really, why?
22:09Because I don't know. I don't really know.
22:14Why is it just like you're afraid of it?
22:17No.
22:19Why don't you want to do it then?
22:22I don't know, but I also want to do it because obviously I do want to see my family in the future.
22:31I want to ask Mummy G why she doesn't want to do it.
22:35Because obviously if everyone does it in our family then, and she's the only one who hasn't done it,
22:41then obviously she's basically missing a part of our lives again.
23:00Here you go, your coffee.
23:24Thanks very much.
23:30With this change in shift, that shorter hours, can you get more time at home with you and the kids?
23:41Yeah, it would be good, yes.
23:48It's a drop in money though.
23:50I know, I know.
23:52That's not the most important. It's not the deciding factor.
23:59So we should be okay.
24:01Yeah.
24:03You'll have me nagging your head no more, that sort of thing.
24:05It's fine, Annie.
24:07Alright.
24:10It's fine.
24:21If a member of your family comes with you, like you're in a container, that person is in a container,
24:30then you wake up before that person, would you still want to do it?
24:41It's a good question, that.
24:45Well, it depends when you go in.
24:48So it doesn't mean you're going to go in as a nine-year-old boy.
24:52You might be a 40, 50-year-old boy, but you still might come out before Daddy G.
25:02Just what if the person that you would know, just like Mama G, okay, she's not 100% sure she wants to do it.
25:13So, yeah, it's still a bit confusing because you rely on somebody sometimes
25:19and you want them to be there for you.
25:22So it's something that you have to accept.
25:44All of a sudden, I saw this, like, smoke come up right next to you, just like this, alright.
25:52It just came up like that.
26:06I got up really, really quickly, thinking, my bed's on fire.
26:12But when I got up, nothing.
26:17And it disappeared.
26:22I thought I was dreaming, but I knew I wasn't.
26:35I think that that smoke was actually my mum saying goodbye to me.
26:50That's what I think happened, you know.
26:52She said goodbye to me.
27:14You know, going from being horribly, horribly low in life, thinking, you know, there is nothing more.
27:27And honestly, you know, to meet you and for you to support me and help me for what we've done.
27:40But now we're all here, I'm so, so happy.
27:46It just feels good.
27:48From where I was to where I am now.
27:51And while they're still young, let's make the most of it.
27:54We will, yeah, definitely.
28:00The best time I'm having now is when I'm older.
28:18Getting ready to come on now.
28:22Come on, Wynette!
28:35Well done, that was excellent.
28:38Thank you so much.