Video installation with church benches
Every week in Finland, funerals are held for people without family or friends. To show my respect, I attend a burial. I step into the empty chapel. White lilies are laid on the coffin at the altar. The tall candles are already lit. I realize I have never felt a silence this deep. The only other people there are the pastor, the organist and the caretaker. The service is conducted in full, only the family’s flowers and goodbyes are missing. The pastor speaks to the deceased, directly, comfortingly, although he can know nothing of her life. I am moved. I feel I share in her loneliness. I projected the service on a gallery with church benches. At last people attended this young woman’s funeral and many of them told me they made sure they called their parents more often.
In Memory of 2009 from Heta Kuchka on Vimeo.