In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted death. The law was blocked for three years and finally enacted in 1997. Since then, 991 Oregonians have taken their mortality into their own hands.

Filmmaker Peter Richardson enters the lives of the terminally ill as they consider whether – and when – to end their lives by a legally prescribed lethal overdose. Richardson examines both sides of this complex, emotionally charged issue. What emerges is a life-affirming, staggeringly powerful portrait of what it means to die with dignity.

On Wednesday, April 20, “How to Die in Oregon” will screen at The Harbor Theatre as a free community discussion event from 1 to 4 p.m. Facilitator will be Valerie Lovelace, speaker, educator, and founder of It’s My Death (IMD), a Maine-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is providing services and education to people wishing to actively explore the meaning of life through embracing the certainty of death. One of IMD’s goals is to help break societal taboos surrounding how we die.

“How to Die in Oregon” won numerous awards, including the grand jury prize for documentaries at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. With the 2015 passage of California’s AID law, five states now offer legal protection for physicians and qualified terminally ill patients for a life-ending prescription as part of a continuum of care and services for competent patients facing the end of their lives. Most commonly known as a “Death with Dignity” law, these laws safeguard and make visible the need for medical assistance in death that some patients experience at the very end.

Attend to gain greater insight into the legal and ethical concerns of aid-in-dying, and learn more about Maine’s own history with the movement.

The Harbor Theatre is located at 185 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor. For more information, call 207-633-0438 or visit www.harbortheatre.net.