End-of-Life & Legacy Interview Films

Capturing those in their own words as cinematic heirlooms.

Gone West is rooted in the belief that legacy is love, and that honoring a life means capturing its truth, tenderness, and humanity in one’s own words. Filmed in stunning 4K with a small, respectful crew, each session is guided by thought-provoking questions that invite curiosity, reflection, and authentic life stories. They are an opportunity to look back on a life, reflect on what’s meaningful, and share values and takeaways from their own experience.

Why it matters

So often, we wish we’d recorded our parents telling that one story, or captured a loved one’s laughter just one more time, or had precious footage of a family dinner from our childhood. Things that seem so ordinary now become extraordinary later, and these films offer a chance to be intentional about preserving these fleeting moments as future memories.

Testimonials

  • Elyse offered to interview my mother, in her 90’s, about her life. The result was so much more than we expected — a video of my mother speaking, truly capturing her essence, integrated with family photos. It’s a beautiful heirloom for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and generations to come.

    Marsha G.

  • We had a very positive experience before, during and after filming - Elyse and team were compassionate and respectful and total professionals. And it is an unimaginable gift to have the videos now that my husband is gone. We also edited clips and showed them at his celebration of life.

    Margot B.

  • I initially opted to work with Elyse because it wasn't clear what the outcome of my (cancer) treatment would be, and I wanted to have a document of that moment in time for my kids to be able to watch later on. Elyse brought the awareness of someone who has gone through a health journey herself, so I appreciated that she "got it" in a way that another filmmaker might not have. Overall, it was a positive experience!

    Deborah W.