Hot Docs 2009

Paris' Peré-Lachaise is one of the world's most famous cemeteries. It is the final resting place for a diverse group of artists ranging from Proust to Jim Morrison. Forever captures the cemetery's mysterious and calming beauty through its visitors. At the grave of Sadegh Hedayat, Iran's most famous and controversial writer, we meet an Iranian taxi driver who sings traditional Persian music and comes to Hedayat's grave to preserve for himself the culture of his homeland. A Spanish woman who escaped the terror of Franco's rule 60 years ago comes to visit her husband's grave every day. She is moved to share a story about the horrors she experienced and why she no longer believes in God. Another woman regularly tends to the graves of her favourite artists, recounting their personal histories as though she were speaking about old and dear friends. Gradually, the graveyard reveals itself not only as a resting place for the dead, but also as a source of peace and inspiration for the living. Forever is about a place where love and death go hand in hand.