When Someone You Love is Dying is an intimate, animated short that expands on the themes of Sophie Dupin’s book of the same name. The book is an illustrated guide that blends the emotional depth of a memoir with the practical clarity of a roadmap, offering readers an intimate yet accessible way to understand the dying process - both physically and emotionally - so they can navigate their final moments with a loved one with presence, intention, and compassion. Rather than directly adapting the book, the film stands as its own artistic expression - an emotional, visual, and narrative experience that invites viewers to engage with these themes in a different way. Told through Sophie’s eyes, the short focuses on the snapshots she captured while navigating her father’s terminal cancer from his diagnosis to his final moments. Amid the heartbreak, the film holds space for the quiet joys, the humor, and the love that persists - even in loss.

As Sophie recounts her father’s final months, viewers are taken on a surreal yet tender journey watching a family lose someone they love. The animation blends the emotional snapshots of her experience with practical guidance on navigating those final days. It captures the complexities of the physical process of dying alongside the unspoken emotions of those left behind. From the quiet moments shared between Sophie and her father to the painful realization that time is running out, the short evokes the bittersweet realities of love, loss, and letting go.

Ultimately, When Someone You Love is Dying is more than just a film about loss - it is a guide through one of life’s most difficult transitions. By acknowledging grief with vulnerability and honesty, it reminds us that although death is inevitable, we can find solace in understanding the journey and cherishing the moments we have left with those we love.