JAN’S LEAVING THE PLANET

And you’re invited to her last day on earth

a short documentary film by elyse neiman seiter

About this film

Jan’s Leaving the Planet is not your average end-of-life film— it’s part champagne toast, part tragic love story, part cosmic exit strategy. When Jan, a whip-smart, funny, and fiercely independent woman from Seattle, learns her time is short, she decides to choreograph her own departure. From choosing Medical Aid in Dying to planning a send-off that’s equal parts ritual and revelry, Jan turns what could be unbearably heavy into something disarmingly human (and even a little hilarious).But with the recent and unexpected loss of her beloved wife, Jan’s grief is all consuming. Will Jan be able to see her plan to the end while grappling with unimaginable loss? This short film is both an intimate portrait and a bold invitation to rethink how we talk about— and take agency in— our own death.

A woman and an older woman are sitting inside by a large window, engaged in conversation. The scene is being filmed with professional video equipment, including a camera and monitor pointed at them. Outside the window, there's a garden with a twisted, leafless tree, colorful plants, and a body of water in the background.

Jan with filmmaker Elyse on a break from an interview. September 2025.

The Team