Death Care Marketing Show | E3: Movie Night at the Mortuary with Gail Rubin, CT

Movie Night at the Mortuary: Creative Outreach and Education

This episode of Death Care Marketing Show features host Mary Barnett and death educator Gail Rubin who discuss innovative community outreach strategies for funeral homes, such as hosting “mortality movie nights” and Death Cafes. The conversation highlights how using storytelling and cinema can lower emotional barriers, allowing people to discuss end-of-life planning in a relaxed, non-sales environment. 

Rubin emphasizes that these events build long-term trust and connection with the public by normalizing the topic of death through humor and education. She also introduces her book, which provides curated film lists and discussion prompts to help professionals facilitate these meaningful dialogues. Ultimately, the source advocates for a shift from traditional advertising to active community engagement as a more effective way to promote pre-need services.

Death Care Marketing Show | Episode 3 (watch here)

In this episode of the Death Care Marketing Show, host Mary Barnett talks with Gail Rubin, a certified thanatologist and pioneer of the Death Cafe movement, about how funeral homes can use storytelling and cinema to build community trust and boost pre-need sales.

Movie Night at the Mortuary with Gail Rubin

  • The Ultimate Statistic: “The mortality rate is holding steady at 100%.”
  • Sacred Work: Funeral directors are “last responders” who perform a blessing for humanity by catching people as they fall during their darkest times.
  • Community Connection: Getting people into the funeral home for non-funeral events builds warmth and trust, showing the community that the staff are approachable human beings

Actionable Tips for Funeral Homes

1. Adopt the “POPCORN” Outreach Model:
  • P – Pick the right film: Start with a comedy to help people relax.
  • O – Open with purpose: Explain why the event is being held and introduce the staff.
  • P – Prompt discussion: Use the movie’s themes to ask questions about end-of-life wishes.
  • C – Connect it to planning: Show how the stories on screen relate to real-world preparation.
  • O – Offer next steps: Provide resources or follow-up information without a hard sales pitch.
  • R – Repeat consistently: Host events quarterly or monthly to normalize the conversation.
  • N – Normalize the conversation: Use humor and shared experiences to reduce the “intimidating” feel of the mortuary
2. Manage Licensing and Logistics:
  • Secure a License: Do not show films publicly without permission. Use a one-time license to promote a specific movie title, or a blanket license from the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) for ongoing, un-named screenings.
  • Partner with Local Experts: Invite hospice workers, estate attorneys, and financial planners to co-host and market the event to their own client lists.
  • Pre-Screen Content: Avoid movies with excessive profanity or themes that don’t fit your specific community unless you have reviewed them first
3. Test a “Fast Fix” Event:
  • Host a one-time “Mortality Movie Night” or a small Death Cafe in your reception center.
  • If you don’t want to show a full movie, consider showing a short TV episode (like Mary Tyler Moore’s “Chuckles Bites the Dust”) followed by a discussion
‘Before I Die’ Festival

A Before I Die festival is a community-focused event designed to open conversations about mortality and end-of-life planning in a non-threatening, educational way. These festivals often take place at funeral homes or cemetery combinations, helping to build community trust by inviting the public to engage with these spaces for something other than a funeral.

Key features and activities often included in these festivals are:
  • Diverse Activities: Festivals can be one-day or multi-day events featuring a range of activities such as guest speakers, movie screenings, panel discussions, and even art activities. Gail Rubin mentions including a band at one event to help normalize the atmosphere.
  • Resource Fairs: A central part of the festival is often a resource fair, sometimes titled “Death is Not a Dirty Word”. These fairs host tables for various end-of-life professionals, including death doulas, hospice workers, estate attorneys, and funeral directors, allowing the public to ask questions and gather information in an informal setting.
  • Behind-the-Scenes Access: The events provide a chance for the public to learn about the “behind the scenes” aspects of funeral service and death care, which helps demystify the industry.
  • Proven Success: These festivals can be highly effective for outreach; for instance, a one-day festival held at Green Lawn in Bakersfield resulted in over $100,000 in pre-need sales. Another event held at a church saw over 300 attendees.

Ultimately, the goal of these festivals is to shift the focus from selling to education and storytelling, creating a safe space for people to discuss mortality issues without feeling pressured by a sales pitch. For more information, Gail Rubin points to the dedicated website BeforeIDieFestivals.com

Featured Books & Offers

  • [Book] 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die: A guide by Gail Rubin featuring film suggestions and discussion questions to facilitate end-of-life conversations.
  • [Book] A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die: Gail’s first book focusing on creative funeral planning with a light touch.
  • [Service] Film Clip Presentations: Funeral homes can hire Gail Rubin to visit their facility and lead a presentation using film clips to spark community engagement

 “Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant;  talking about funerals won’t make you dead” – Gail Rubin

Guest Information & Resources

If you have wisdom and insights to share with your peers in the Deathcare industry, and would like to be a guest on the Deathcare Marketing Show, please apply here: http://deathcaremarketingshow.com

You can also see other episodes there as well!

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