INTERNATIONAL PRESS

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PRESS FROM DOK.fest MüNCHEN - The Munich Documentary Film Festival

[Translation:] The very first seconds of the film "Addicted to life" are touching - and they are infinitely painful. The main character, Marieke Vervoort, a Belgian wheelchair athlete, exhausted, sits there in the video call and answers the question of how she is feeling: "Everyone nags me and asks me when I am going to die. Do I already know the date when I'm going to die? You can all go fuck yourselves. I'll die when I'm ready."

Vervoort has suffered from progressive quadriplegia since the age of 14, combined with recurring barely tolerable pain and epileptic seizures. Nevertheless, she becomes world champion three times, and in 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio she also wins four Olympic medals in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, including gold once. After her last race in Rio, in which she fights her way to bronze despite having broken her sternum in an accident during her last training session, Vervoort makes a moving plea for active euthanasia - and retires from active competitive sports.

Active euthanasia is permitted in Belgium, and in 2008 Vervoort herself signed the relevant papers to take advantage of it. Someday, when she can no longer go on. At the time, suicidal thoughts plagued the then-para triathlete, who made it all the way to the Ironman in Hawaii - because she could no longer practice her sport due to her illness.

Director Pola Rapaport ventures painfully close to Vervoort, but keeps a balance between the sad and also beautiful and humorous moments, which are always there. She shows an impressively brave, strong, proud woman who says she has put aside any fear of dying. Who just wants to keep going, whether bungee jumping in a wheelchair or being a passenger in a professional race car. And who then makes what is probably the most difficult decision of her life in a completely self-determined manner.

"Addicted to Life," USA/Belgium 2022, Pola Rapaport, 86 min., OmeU; May 6, 4 p.m., Neues Rottmann; May 9, 9:30 p.m., Neues Rottmann; May 11, 8 p.m., Rio 2.

PRESS ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE AT THE OSTEND FILM FESTIVAL

NEW YORK TIMES

On December 8, 2019, a major article and photographic essay on Marieke and her death by euthanasia appeared in the New York Times in a special section, with photos by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Lynsey Addario and text by Andrew Keh. This article brought major US and international attention to Marieke and her story and introduced her to an international audience. On January 24, 2022, the NY Times’ podcast “The Daily” featured Addario telling her personal story of photographing Marieke Vervoort over the three years it took to create the material for this photo essay.

On December 16, 2019, in their annual, high-profile selection of the year’s best photographs, “The Year in Pictures”, the New York Times chose one of Addario’s photographs of Marieke in her hometown of Diest.

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES ON MARIEKE’S DEATH: