The film “Dead Work” meditates on the institutionalisation and ritualization of death. Its title refers to Thomas Laqueur’s book from 2015 “The Work of the Dead”. Laqueur, who traces some genealogies in the history of the cemetery, reads from his book in the film. The video, more of a visual essay, also includes footage from Östra kyrkogården (The Eastern Cemetery) in Malmö and from Cementario de Playa Ancha in Valparaíso, Chile. Moreover it includes the architect Sigurd Lewerentz plans and drawings for Östra kyrkogården from the 1910’s.

Image: Sigurd Lewerentz, detail from drawing for column at Östra Kyrkogården, courtesy of Malmö Stadsarkiv.