Kollektivet: Second Degree Euthanasia

Lars-Jahn Svendsen is on a crusade to help the suffering, by mercifully killing them.
But by what motive is he selecting the lucky few who gets his unique help?

Narrator:
According to Norwegian law; punishable by law to help dying people end their lives. No matter what the patients themselves want.
On both sides of this controversy, we find strong voices. One of these strong voices is Lars-Jahn Svendsen.






Lars-Jahn:
One of my closest relatives, Ronny, had a serious decease for a number of years. And when I visited him at the hospital, I could see this incredible wish for death to come.
I sat on his oxygen-tube, accidentally. And he was then free from his anguished hell, he was 14 years old.

Narrator:
Based on this experience, and a loophole in the law, Lars-Jahn has come up with his own business idea.

Lars-Jahn:
So long as it is an accident, and you only indirectly kill somebody, it is not punishable by law
.
In this room lies Marite Svendsen, she has had incurable cancer going on two years now. It’s high time to relieve her of her pain.
She now rests in peace.

                                            Marite Svendsen
                                               1945-2012

Narrator:
We followed Lars-Jahn over a period of one year, where he was involved in a number of accidental merciful killings.
                                              Anders Svendsen
                                                   1957-2012

                                               Laila Svendsen
                                                 1950-2012

Lars-Jahn:
"Excuse me, could you just hold this for me for a little while?"

                                             Pernille Svendsen
                                                 1975-2012

Narrator:
It isn’t until we are finishing up in the final cut, that we realize all the patients are named Svendsen. The same last name as Lars-Jahn himself.

Lars-Jahn:
This is Eigil Svendsen, he is 14 years old, and has contracted lung-inflammation on both sides. Horrible pain all the time, so it’s high time to time to relieve him of his pain.

Camera-man:
Relieve him of his pain? But, it isn’t a deadly decease. He’ll be just fine in a little while.

Lars-Jahn:
Oh, no,no,no,no, there is no such guarantee. Breath in. Him having lung-inflammation on both sides, in both his lungs! You know he’s had it rough, just lost his mother very recently, in a very unfortunate treadmill-accident, having fallen on a pair of scissors.  Of course that’s hard on the young boy.

Now it’s just a matter of time, the accident will soon be upon us. And Eigil will never have to suffer again.

That’s that.

                                             Eigil Svendsen
                                                1998-2012

Lars-Jahn:
My crusade is finally over and I can retreat.

Camera-man:
Retreat?

Lars-Jahn:
Yes, to the Svendsen Family-cabin, which suddenly  stands there empty after my entire family perished under extremely unfortunate circumstances.
Not going to be quite the same at the cabin, without them.

Kind of...