The Life We Leave is an official selection of the 2026 Seattle International Film Festival.
Since its inception in 1882, The National Funeral Directors Association has essentially offered two choices for decedents: burial or cremation. Within those parameters, there are customizable options, from expensive ornate caskets and headstones to cardboard urns; from grand funeral processions to intimate services. But the transactional nature of it taints every aspect and is very much contingent on what the families can afford. J.J. Gerber’s directorial debut, The Life We Leave, is a documentary that takes an in-depth look at one of the first companies in the world to offer a whole new way. Human composting is not just a green alternative. The “Return Home” model also involves and supports the grieving families every step of the way.
In 2019, Washington state became the first to legalize human composting. Return Home founder, Micah Truman saw a chance to get in on the ground floor of an emerging industry. He had recently left the tech world and initially entered the venture with that bottom line mindset. He came across a youtube video by Dr. John Paul, PHD, who explained his agricultural innovation for composting cows. Truman invited Dr. Paul out to lunch and didn’t even give the man a chance to bite into his sandwich before he got down to brass tacks. “Could you do it for people?” Though taken aback, Dr. Paul considered the question carefully and concluded that it was worth trying. What Truman didn’t know and would soon come to learn is that there is so much more that goes into funeral services besides body disposal. Or rather, there is so much more that should go into it. What “Return Home” offers is a way to reunite lost loved ones with the very elements of creation.
As of this writing, fourteen states have legalized human composting, and the companies that have sprung up accept clients from out of state. Most seem to charge comparable, if not significantly reduced rates as traditional funeral homes. Yes, the traditional places answer the phone and gladly retrieve your loved one at all hours, but after that, your involvement becomes very removed and transactional. When my own mother passed, she had chosen a place I never even visited. They picked her up, took my credit card info, followed her cremation wishes from her will, and mailed the remains. $2000 and a whole life burned into a box of ashes. The vessels provided, beyond the “basic cardboard box” cost extra. To have a service there cost extra. If you lose someone unexpectedly, these costs can feel limiting and blindsiding. But it used to be the only way to go…
Effed by the Wind 