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Must Read After My Death
Directed by	Morgan Dews
Written by	Morgan Dews
Produced by	Morgan Dews
Music by	Paul Damian Hogan
Distributed by	Gigantic Releasing
Release date	November 28, 2007 (2007-11-28) (IDFA) February 20, 2009 (Theatrical)
Running time	74 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Must Read After My Death is a 2009 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Morgan Dews. It is a story about Allis and her husband Charley, in Hartford, Connecticut in the 1960s.

The film's soundtrack was composed by the Emmy-nominated musician Paul Damian Hogan.

Synopsis

When a Hartford couple turns to psychiatry for help with their marriage, things quickly spiral out of control. Couples counseling, individual and group therapy, and 24-hour marathon sessions ensue. Their four children suffer and are given their own psychiatrists. Pills are prescribed, people are institutionalized, and shock therapy is administered. The story is told by the family itself, from a collection of audio recordings and home movies, illuminating a difficult and extraordinary time.

Production

Must Read After My Death was created after Dews found a trove of video and tape belonging to his late grandmother, Allis. The documentary does not include interviews with Allis' grown children and focuses only on her video and audio diary.

Distribution

The film had its US premiere in 2008 at the LA Film Festival. Gigantic Digital released Must Read After My Death in February 2009. It was the first film to be released day-and-date in theaters and online. Gigantic managed to control the availability of the film online, blocking it in markets where the film was playing theatrically.

Critical response

The film received critical acclaim, receiving 90% positive reviews at the website Rotten Tomatoes.

Accolades

References

1. Dargis, Manohla (February 19, 2009). "A Documentary Family Memoir by Morgan Dews, Dictated From the Grave". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
2. "Paul Damian Hogan". IMDb.
3. Ebert, Roger. "Must Read After My Death Movie Review (2009) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
4. Ebert, Roger (December 14, 2012). "The ten best documentaries of 2009 | Roger Ebert's Journal | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
5. Jenkins, Mark (February 19, 2009). "'Must Read After My Death': A Real Page-Turner". npr.com. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
6. "CASE STUDY: MUST READ AFTER MY DEATH | Film Independent". www.filmindependent.org. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012.
7. "Must Read After My Death". Rotten Tomatoes.

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• Violence against women in the United States
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