Episode 1: Dawn

Click HERE to listen.

This episode centres around Covid- 19 Zoom funerals.

Episode Summary:

What makes a good death? Two estranged friends, Daud and Sabrina reconnect after 2 years of nationwide lockdown. As they recount bittersweet memories with their late friend Ping An who passed away from COVID-19, a peculiar detail surrounding his death compels Daud to embark on a journey.

Episode Details:

The concept of death in itself is absurd (Camus, 1962). Deaths disrupt the social order, our everyday lives (Jones, 1986). With Covid- 19 at its centre; a threat similar to the plague referenced by Camus, deaths are often hard to accept and its easier sometimes to keep on denying that Covid- 19 is the new reality. Adding to the absurdity of the situation Daud had faced, as he experienced his good friend, Ping An's death, he had to attend his funeral online. In this episode, Daud and Sabrina recounted Ping An's funeral that occurred via Zoom video call, where the both of them found it to be weird. Daud personally, felt particularly disturbed by the event and was unable to make peace with the peculiarity of the situation. He then decided to reach out to someone who went through the same experience to understand what it is exactly that made Zoom funerals feel "off"...

Research:

During Covid-19, it is undeniable how technology have come to replace physical interactions. Those who've become victims of the disease risk losing their lives, and yet during this dire time, they've been forced to separate from the support and comfort provided through physical interactions. Hospital visits remain restricted as the disease threaten the lives of others even after they've passed (Kaos, 2020). Funerals, thus, had also been compelled to transpire online due to the high-rate infectivity of Covid- 19 (NST Business, 2021). However, as funerals become digitalised, it had then come to replace traditional practices (MacNeil et al, 2021). In the study, it is clear that these emerging practice is impacting traditional grieving processes, however, the effects of this remain to be subjective and personalised.

Special Thanks:

• Assikin (guest): A friend who experienced the death of her father due to Covid-19 and attended an online funeral.

• Ryan Tan - voice of pastor in prologue

Listen to the PREVIEW below and check out our instagram: @inthemourning

References:

• NST Business (2021) Life Eternity Group aims to digitalise Malaysia's ... NewStraitsTimes. Available at: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2021/11/742804/life-eternity-group-aims-digitalise-malaysias-bereavement-industry (Accessed: March 13, 2022).

• Camus, A. (1962) The Plague. New York: Time Inc.

• Jones, R. (1986) Emile Durkheim: An Introduction To Four Major Works. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., pp.115-155.

• Kaos Jr, J. (2020). Hospital visits still restricted, says Health DG. The Star. Retrieved 23 March 2022, from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/06/22/hospital-visitations-still-restricted-says-health-dg.

• MacNeil A, Findlay B, Bimman R, Hocking T, Barclay T, Ho J. Exploring the Use of Virtual Funerals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review. Omega (Westport). 2021 Sep 22:302228211045288. doi: 10.1177/00302228211045288 Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34550814.