Educational Media Reviews Online

A “homegoing” is a term used in African-American culture to denote a funeral, which is simultaneously a time of sadness in grief and a time of celebration in the new life of the person who has died, and in the lives of the family, friends, and loved ones who are still here. This film provides a delicate but very grounded and real look into this tradition, primarily through the eyes of Isaiah Owens, owner and chief undertaker of two funeral homes in Harlem, NY and Branchville, SC. To this day, many if not most African-Americans seek out African-American owned and operated funeral services, and while this sociological fact forms the basis of the film, it is ultimately not the focus. Instead, the biography of Owens and the ways his life intersects with various clients illustrates the ways we the living think about dying and care for our loved ones in death.

Several homegoings structure the film. Quiet and tender in its treatment of both its living and dead cast, the film includes scenes of religious ceremony, but does not explore these deeply. Owens is an excellent anchor for the film as it develops. An easygoing and well-spoken man, he speaks about both why he is an undertaker and his thoughts on an undertaker’s role in community with insight and humility. During sequences at funeral services, both in the funeral home and at gravesites, the filmmakers do a respectful job of unobtrusively documenting the proceedings, showing both the sorrow and joy of the participants. Though the film centers on the community in Harlem, two brief sections go to South Carolina, mostly to help illustrate not only Owens’ childhood (his mother works at the Branchville funeral home, and the family celebrates her 95th birthday), but also to give a glimpse of the history of burial practices among African-American slaves.

The filmmakers do show dead bodies in various scenes I would describe as tasteful, but others may want to preview the film before making their own judgment. A body’s feet and legs are unwrapped and washed in the mortuary. Blood is shown being washed away in the mortuary basins, but incisions, tubing, and the like, are not seen at work. Several brief interviews with Owens are conducted as he works on the faces of bodies in caskets, applying makeup, earrings, lipstick. Once a syringe of gel is shown being prepped, but is not shown being injected. 2/3rds through the film, a brief time-lapse is shown of static shots of a dead woman’s face before and during the process Owens uses to make her ready for her funeral. Overall, the film is kind and decent in its treatment of its subjects, and engages in the lighter touch, “show, don’t tell” kind of filmmaking which often stays with a viewer and provokes contemplation. Homegoings is highly recommended.