SISTER ÚNA LIVED A GOOD DEATH
Directed by
Par Parekh
Produced by
Ali Hart
Executive Producers
Sally Jo Fifer
Lois Vossen
Stanley Nelson
Marcia Smith
Supervising Producers
Michael Ehrenzweig
Julia Pontecorvo
Cinematographers
Hope Hall
Matthew Neikrug
Edited by
Ann Rose
Chris McNabb
Music by
Nathan Halpern
Featuring
Sister Úna Feeney
Kelsey McManus
Kathleen Beals
Roy Beals
Mary Beth Sweet
Adelle Lies
Sarah Mercado
Daniel Mercado
Annmarie Peterson
Bridget McTague
Patrick Feeney
Dr. Babak Goldman
Mari Stiles
Colleen Wong
Mary Moore
Sr. Suzanne Simo
Sr. Joeline Santiago
Mary Lindemann
Teresa Schantin
Jacqueline A. Smith
Judith Smith
Jacqurlyn Barry
Austin Mader-Clark
Janet Osimo
Stacey Siri
Sebastian Mercado
Christian Garcia
Curly Velasquez
Richard Peterson
Additional Camera
Par Parekh
Josh Kletzkin
Justin L. Stewart
Katherine Niemczyk
Nina Ham
Production Sound
Caleb Mose
Ali Hart
Hand-drawn Illustration & Animation
Adrianne Nina
2D & 3D Animation
Motive Made Studios
Additional Editing
Par Parekh
Assistant Editor
Natalie Ancona
Salamo Manetti-Lax
Gabriela McGowan
Story Editor
Natalie Ancona
Post Production Assistant
Madeline Rachel Nagler
Colorist
Todd Bush
Sound Design & Mix
One Thousand Birds
Music Supervisor
Kyle McKeveny
Production Assistance Provided By
Fancy Film
ScreeningRoom
Additional Music
Robert Pycior
Chris Ruggiero
Production Counsel
Natalie Locke
Clearance Counsel
Donaldson Callif Perez
Archival Stills and Footage Provided By
Michael Feeney
Patrick Feeney
Bridget McTague
Sarah Mercado
Mary Moore
Teresa Schantin
Additional Materials By
Jennifer Boeder
Christian de Guzman
Thomas Altfather Good
‘Harold and Maude’/Paramount Pictures/Hal Ashby
'You’re So Vain'/Carly Simon/Elektra
‘One of Us’/Eric Bazillian and Joan Osborne/Blue Gorilla/Mercury
‘The Giving Tree’/Shel Silverstein
Eric Simsik
Getty Images
Pond5
Providence High School
Mater Dei High School
“Hail Holy Queen (Instrumental)”
Arranged and Performed by Marc Shaiman
Courtesy of Hollywood Records
“Isn’t It Grand, Boys”
Performed by The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment
“The Mermaid”
Performed by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment
“Paint The Town Red”
Written by James Fintan McConnell
Performed by The Mahones
Courtesy of Linus Entertainment
“The Parting Glass”
Traditional
Performed by Laura Jean Anderson
“Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral (That’s An Irish Lullaby)”
Written by J.R. Shannon
Performed by Charlie Burnham
Special Thanks
Lynne Kirby
Scott Tuft
Sisters of Social Service - Los Angeles
St. Genevieve Parish Schools
The Extended Feeney Family
Fiscal Sponsorship Provided By
FiLM iNDEPENDENT
Production Support
Brendan Colthurst
Nathan Halpern
Hope Hall
Chris Ruggiero
Nina Ham
Natalie Ancona
Justin L. Stewart
Sister Úna Lived A Good Death Funding Provided By
Jillian and Neel Parekh
Ben Silverman
Smokey Hormel
Alice and Tom Colthurst
Daksha and Shirish Parekh
Madeline and Sidney Hart
Erin Decker
Deverie and Jared Hart
Margaret & Viraj Master
Aliana and David Spungen
And others. A complete list available from PBS.
Original Series Funding Provided By
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Acton Family Giving
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Ford Foundation
Wyncote Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The views and opinions expressed by Sister Úna Feeney in this film do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Sisters of Social Service, or any other institutions with which she was aligned.
Sister Úna Lived A Good Death is a co-production of Una Unlimited LLC, Firelight Media, and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Sister Úna Lived A Good Death is produced by Una Unlimited LLC which is solely responsible for its content.
© 2023 Una Unlimited LLC, all rights reserved.
Dedicated to Sister Úna Feeney
Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
Premiered February 5, 2024
Directed by
Par Parekh
A wisecracking nun with stage IV cancer teaches others that death doesn’t have to be the end.
EXPLORE THE FILM
About the Documentary
Following a cancer diagnosis, Sister Úna—a mischievous, rule-breaking Catholic nun dedicated to social justice—chooses to live as she’s dying. In this touching end-of-life documentary, the self-proclaimed “leader of the misfits” plans her funeral in her last nine months to live.
The Filmmakers
Par Parekh has held many filmmaking roles—director, writer, producer, editor, and cinematographer. He co-wrote and produced Benh Zeitlin’s Glory at Sea, and was named one of 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2020 by Austin Film Festival. He made his narrative directorial debut with the short The Happy, which premiered at SeriesFest in 2019.
Ali Hart has nearly two decades of experience using entertainment for social impact as a comedy, documentary, and impact producer. She produced the short doc American Haze for Sundance Now and the 5-part web series Spotlight California for billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer. Earlier in her career she developed films for Court TV.
Documentaries Available to Watch Now
