On Tuesday April 4, 2017, the late beloved actor, Heath Ledger, would have celebrated his 38th birthday. A solemn day for those who cherished and loved him well, and a Blue Day for his many fans. The countless admirers who treasured the talented actor both mourned and praised the day. It is hard to imagine that Heath Ledger died almost a decade ago, as the consequence of combined drug intoxication (CDI).
Nonetheless, those who loved and admired Heath Ledger the man and Ledger the actor do have something to applaud. A partnership between filmmaker Derik Murray, Network Entertainment, and Spike TV plan to release a documentary, Ledger himself was instrumental in creating, aptly named, "I Am Heath Ledger."
Grief is complex
CDI is often confused with a drug overdose.
One that is either intentional or unintentional. However, the fact is CDI signifies that death occurred because multiple substances were ingested and the combination became toxic. In other words, Heath Ledger's premature death was the result of an unnatural cause. Such bewildering and devastating occurrences leave families and loved-ones stunned and mortified for decades if not forever. When the death is someone famous or well-known fans and those in proximity are struck dumb. No one among us knows what to say or do.
Nevertheless, we cry, reminisce, or bottle-up the grief. Some even encase this unanticipated overwhelming heartache into bundles of losses that tend to ebb and flow emotionally through-out life.
How do we cope with compounding loss? When famous actors, idols, stars, brothers, sisters, sons, mothers are swept out of life unexpectedly. As if a tide of sorrow has become a rip-current. One that is hard to know, witness, or talk about. Yet is beneath the souls of our feet all the time. Part of the reason for this is that over the last decade, western culture has endured thousands of sudden unnatural deaths publically.
Millions privately.
Countless loved-ones meet the same fate
Since Heath Ledger's death well-loved, talented, and famous entertainers have met the same devastating fate. The number is beyond measure. Prince, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cory Monteith, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse. Now a long of moment of silence would be fitting.
What else can we do. Forget? Of course not. How could we? For this list embodies less than one-tenth of one-percent.
Along with our sorrow we celebrate what they offered the world. As much and as often as possible! The names represented above symbolizes incalculable vast talent, yet stands for only a tiny fraction of endless loss. Imparting some bit of solace, however, comes by way of an offering. A gift in the form of the intimate documentary about Heath Ledger's life.
The film, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival just a few days ago on April 23. A glimmering gaze into the life of the beloved actor. Who died too young, and in his prime. He was only 28-years-old. Also, in the film are celebrities who died from CDI.
The mixture of both illicit and prescription substances.
The film comprises interviews with several who knew and worked with Heath Ledger on the Dark Knight, and Brokeback Mountain. Included in the film are, Ben Harper, director Ang Lee, Model Christina Cauchi and Ledger's sister, Kate.
"Heath was the most alive human," Harper declares, adding. "If it wasn't on the edge, it didn't interest him."
In the film Ledger, who loved filming and playing with video cameras, is shown experimenting with various cameras. Model Christina Cauchi, explains there were always cameras around. That is the way she remembers Heath Ledger, filming and trying-out different cameras. At one point, Ledger exclaims as he looks deeply, intimately into one camera."We're gonna go on a mission right now ....
so will you come with me?"
"I Am Heath Ledger"is the product of a partnership between filmmaker Derik Murray, Network Entertainment, and Spike TV. The documentary film will have a limited release in theaters on May 3 then debut on Spike TV on May 17.
