How to Die in Oregon

How to Die in Oregon is a 2011 American documentary film produced and directed by Peter Richardson. It is set in the U.S. state of Oregon and covers the state's Oregon [Death with Dignity Act|Death with Dignity Act] that allows terminally ill patients to self-administer barbiturates prescribed by their physician to end their own life, referred to as assisted suicide by opponents and medical aid in dying by proponents.
Richardson spent nearly a year with 54-year-old Cody Curtis, an OHSU faculty member with liver cancer, as she grappled with the decision of whether or not to take a lethal dose of a barbiturate.

Release

The film was released in January 2011 at the 27th Sundance Film Festival and began airing on HBO later in the year. Peter Richardson, a native Oregonian, got the idea to produce the film as the state's law was upheld by the Supreme [Court of the United States] in the 2006 case Gonzales v. Oregon.

Critical reception

How to Die in Oregon was well received by critics, currently holding a 100% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews.
The film won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentaries at the 27th Sundance Film Festival.