After

Directed by Jeremy Cohan
Offical Website

On July 8th 2002, filmmaker Jesse Feigelman took his life in his Brooklyn apartment. The news of his death quickly spread from his neighbors to his fiancée, his sister, and his parents. From that day on, the visceral experience of loss and pain has continued to affect his family and friends. Each day they manage their grief and adapt to their lives without Jesse.

After guides us through the unique complexities of loss as we observe Jesse’s parents, Bill and Beverly Feigelman, in their everyday activities. They reflect on the past and struggle to reconcile what they thought might have been with the reality that they are living. Today, the Feigelmans are active within the suicide bereavement community; helping others has been a large part of how they have coped with the loss of their son.

Jesse is a strong presence throughout the film. His personality emerges from grainy 16mm self-portraits that he left behind. He was a young man with a strong dedication to both his family and his art. These beautiful, albeit haunting images are interwoven with the contemporary story of Bill and Beverly’s bereavement.

After illustrates that the emotions surrounding the loss of a loved one — a parent, a child, a sibling, or a friend — cannot be erased or forgotten, but linger indefinitely, incorporated into the day-to-day realities of those who survive.