End of days

A TIME TO LIVE

BBC2, 9pm FI WAS 30 years old when she was told she had terminal ovarian cancer.

But for her, cancer is a gift – one that made her “see life”.

She said: “If my choice had been to live longer and not have cancer and not have that insight, I wouldn’t take it. I was wasting life before.”

Meanwhile, Lisa, 49, says she intends to spend her remaining time laughing and having fun. She feels like she’s been given a “heads up”, and says: “The colours are brighter, the trees are greener. I notice the colour of my girls’ hair. I try to drink my husband’s face in and remember every feature.”

Fi and Lisa are two of 12 remarkable people, aged from their 20s to their 60s, who are interviewed about how they have responded to their terminal prognosis. But it is not a depressing documentary – far from it. Yes, of course, it is sad and emotional, but largely this thought-provoking film is full of joy and humour, and a stark message to live life to the full.

In fact, the words lucky, privileged, happy and positive come up more often than you might think. Film-maker Sue Bourne said: “I was determined my film would not be miserable. It’s not about death, it’s about life.”

Kevin, 69, who has incurable prostate cancer, says he and his wife have had some of the best times of their lives since his diagnosis.

Meanwhile, Annabel, 55, diagnosed with stage-four bone cancer, was given the impetus she needed to finally leave her husband and travel the world.

It’s an intense film, rare in that most of us don’t talk about death, and it begs the question: How would you respond if you were told you only had months to live?