Short Conversation: Swan Song (Apple TV,2021)

What resonated most deeply with you about Cameron's dilemma?

Cameron love his family, and his life. He has a beautiful family life deeply connected through emotion. What stuck with me mostly is the feeling of sadness that Cameron had to leave his family behind. He was not afraid of dying, he is not afraid of his illnesses. He just didn't want his family especially his wife to go through with the loss ever again.

How did you feel about the concept of the clone?

Cameron had the most difficult moment to accept his own clone despite it was perfectly his reflection. His intention was sincere. He didn't want his family felt the loss and support especially when Poppy lost her twin brother. Even with the best intention by Cameron, replacing a person with a clone would cause an unnatural ripple about the circle of life. It makes people becoming more difficult to accept death is natural.

Did the film make you reflect on your own mortality or the idea of leaving a legacy?

The way I see it, our own mortality is reflected by what we left behind after death. Our gifts, our talents, and our works are often reflected by communicative arts, writings, and properties. What we left behind are also emotional connection with all living things that we love. Our lives will be left behind but memories are not.

What did you think of the film's overall tone and atmosphere?

Yes, it offered beautiful melancholy of a life of a person with a terminal fate. It makes me feel grateful with the life I have and to appreciate people that love me most, my family. Life is too short even without any terminal illness. It is the journey with the loved ones that we have to cherish.

If you could ask Cameron one question, what would it be?

I understand that Cameron had a very difficult decision to make. But I would really like to ask Cameron: If you can return back to the point when you first discovered that you were dying, would you tell poppy and journey this challenge together? I want to ask this because I believe that Poppy became stronger emotionally after she went through the grieving of her lost twin brother. Even the bond between Cameron and Poppy were stronger.

I watched Swan Song and it was hard to let go...

Swan Song (2021), Apple TV

In the not-too-distant future, Cameron Turner (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father, is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Faced with the devastating prospect of leaving his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris) and young son Cory behind, Cameron is presented with a groundbreaking solution: to replace himself with a cloned replica.

This clone, also played by Mahershala Ali, is an exact physical and genetic copy of Cameron, implanted with his memories and emotions. The idea is to seamlessly integrate the clone into Cameron's family, sparing them the pain of grief and loss.

Torn between protecting his family and grappling with the ethical implications of his choice, Cameron embarks on a profound emotional journey. He confronts his own mortality, questions the nature of identity, and ultimately makes a decision that will have a lasting impact on everyone he loves.

"Swan Song" is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the sacrifices we make for those we cherish. It's a film that invites us to contemplate the meaning of life, the nature of the human spirit, and the complex choices we face in the face of our own mortality.