Don't miss Jane Goodall's last words
Just over two weeks ago, primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall died. Now, Netflix offers us her posthumous words in a very moving interview. It's the first broadcast we've seen of Famous last words (Famous last words), a program where prominent figures record a conversation so that it won't be broadcast until after their death. The format is shrouded in secrecy, not only regarding the recording process but also regarding the identities of those who have agreed to participate.
Famous last words It takes place in an austere but warm space with a small central circular platform on which two chairs are placed: one for Brad Falchuk, the interviewer and executive producer of the show, and the other for the celebrity who is facing their posthumous story. The platform is slightly lit from below, so the staging conveys a certain sense of spiritual elevation. In fact, the entire setting has the air of a very elegant funeral home of the future. The five cameras recording the program are controlled remotely, and no one on the crew can hear the content of the conversation. The aim is to create an atmosphere of maximum intimacy for the protagonist. This idea also reinforces the viewer's feeling of accessing a transcendent message, previously secret. The emotional construction of the atmosphere, both for the protagonist and the audience, is very successful, because we are reminded of death and the idea of words coming from beyond. The format is based on the successful Det sidste ord and the posthumous interviews with Mikael Bertelsen that have been broadcast for the past five years on DR1, Denmark's public television.
The conversation between Jane Goodall and Brad Falchuk is very pleasant and captivating. Falchuk is a good listener, in no hurry, and has the good taste not to fall into drama, affectation, or gratuitous emotionality, but he does make reference to the context of posterity at that moment. Surprisingly, right at the beginning, Goodall orders a little whiskey to soothe her throat and, from time to time, while speaking, takes a sip from the glass. It's obvious that the anthropologist feels more comfortable talking about the world, current events, and the human condition than about herself, and yet Falchuk knows very well how to elicit more intimate reflections from her. It's especially moving when the discourse becomes more spiritual, when she talks about her mother, her son, and her grandchildren. Also when she recalls experiences with the three chimpanzees with whom she maintained a close bond. Not her, but you might need a tissue. And the ending is stunning. Falchuk, after making a discreet toast at Goodall's request, leaves her alone on the set and invites her to record her last words while looking into the camera. Listen to them, because the way things are, it's very important not to lose hope.