In response to the COVID 19 pandemic and the many we have lost in our communities, this film has been made available for free streaming.
For guidance on funerals and burials in New York City, please visit: on.nyc.gov/377mqaJ
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Through the eyes of funeral director Isaiah Owens, the beauty and grace of African-American funerals are brought to life. Filmed at Owens Funeral Home in New York City's historic Harlem neighborhood, HOMEGOINGS takes an up-close look at the rarely seen world of undertaking in the black community, where funeral rites draw on a rich palette of tradition, history and celebration. Combining cinéma vérité with intimate interviews and archival photographs, the film paints a portrait of the dearly departed, their grieving families and a man who sends loved ones “home.”
Directed and produced by Christine Turner, HOMEGOINGS premiered at the 2013 Documentary Fortnight at MoMA in New York and opened the 26th Season of PBS’s award-winning series, POV. Featuring an original score by Daniel Bernard Roumain, the film was theatrically released at Maysles Cinema and played numerous festivals, museums and institutions including the Apollo Theater.
“Exquisitely tender. . . one of those rare opportunities to go toward the thing we fear most—death—and realize how much joy and comfort there is in it, when handled with grace and care. Thoughtful and enlightening.”
— The Washington Post
“The morbid meets the deeply spiritual in Christine Turner’s assured documentary. . . Ms. Turner captures the intimacy of solemn, heartfelt moments, and salutes a man who honors their value.”
— The New York Times
“Watching Isaiah Owens’ gentle face . . . and hearing him explain his interest in laying the dead to rest . . . we know instinctively that his presence on earth is a gift to all who meet him, living or dead.”
— The Wall Street Journal
Screen the film
Colleges, Universities & Institutions
Purchase an educational DVD or streaming license from California Newsreel.
Community Groups
Contact POV’s Community Engagement Division to request a screener.
Download a discussion guide here.