Films

World Premiere

Death is inevitable—and Charlottesville legend Chris Farina is ready to confront it in what will be his final film. His ALS diagnosis in 2022 transformed a small project into a deeply personal exploration of life’s end. Inviting us to choose acceptance over fear, Farina guides us through the stages that follow death, and the people who work beside it daily. Hospice workers, funeral home staff, and other guides offer striking, intimate perspectives that reframe how we understand life’s closing chapter, and the meaning of life itself.

Made possible by family, friends, and community partners, Death Becomes Us: And Hands Are With Us emerges as Farina’s unforgettable gift to Charlottesville and beyond. 

Preceded by the short film Ring Every Bell, which follows I AM ALS and the broader ALS community as they race to reauthorize ACT for ALS ahead of its expiration in September 2026.

Discussion with Leslie Blackhall (UVA Health), Jonathan Bartels (UVA Health), and Peter Thompson (The Center at Belvedere) as well as representatives from I AM ALS and Ring Every Bell.