Breathing life into stone

Breathing life into stone - Healing, Intimate, Transformative

This deeply moving documentary takes us into the unique world of stonemason Michael Spengler, whose workshop in a circus wagon and shipping container becomes a sanctuary for those in mourning. Here, Spengler collaborates with grieving families to create bespoke headstones that capture the essence of their lost loved ones. The film intimately follows several families, including Mr. and Mrs. Neustadt, who lost their two-year-old son and seek to immortalize his breath in a delicate limestone sculpture. Hardburg Stolle, a woman of few words, finds cathartic strength in shaping stone under Spengler’s guidance. The Jacob family endeavors to distill their grandfather’s rich life into a single emblematic piece. Each story is a testament to the therapeutic power of this creative process, taking months of careful decision-making. As the stone transforms, so too do the families' relationships with their deceased, finding new connections to them and a renewed approach to life itself. The documentary poignantly shows how crafting these memorials makes the concept of death tangible and aids in the healing journey.