The Coffin Club

When old age and over-priced funeral directors are knocking on the door, there's only one thing to do. Give them both the finger! A group of rebellious, creative Kiwi seniors are doing just that, one crazy coffin at a time.

The Coffin Club is a community group like no other - they make and customise coffins! Based in Rotorua, New Zealand this fascinating bunch of elderly meet once a week to rejoice in life while facing the realities of death.

Born in the back of a garage 10 years ago, the Coffin Club has since evolved into a bustling cottage enterprise with over 60 active members. Every coffin is decorated by hand to reflect the life of its maker, and only costs a mere $250 to make - a much cheaper option to the commercial coffin which starts at $2,000.

Given the financial strain funerals can place on grieving loved ones, members also donate coffins to families in need and make baby coffins for the local hospital. Ageing is an isolating time for many, but not for these seniors. They look out for each other in times of sickness, and meet weekly not only for their love of coffin making, but for the shared morning tea and the long lasting friendships that have formed between them.

We're making a film

Keeping in the spirit of the Coffin Club, this short documentary film will be made in the style of a movie musical! That's right - every part will be sung, danced, and performed by the Coffin Club members. Prepare to be marvelled when these life loving oldies swing their hips in unison, leap for joy, and rows of legs in stoking pop out from coffin caskets!

How will your donations be used?

Making a musical is an ambitious task and we really need all the support we can get. We've set our first crowd funding goal at $2,000.00 but we hope to raise an additional $8,000 over this month to help pay for dancers, musicians, and choreographers' fees as well as our camera rental and equipment. You'll also be pleased to know that donations made to this project are tax deductible, and once you have donated you'll receive a receipt for your tax records.

Why Crowd Funding?

It is extremely difficult to fund short documentaries in New Zealand. Crowd funding is a wonderful way to get around this challenge and to also include audiences in the filmmaking journey. Whatsmore, our film has been generously supported by the Loading Docs initiative, along with principal partner NZ on Air, the New Zealand Film Commission, and Te M?ngai P?ho. Since they want to see the film get made just as much as we do, they've offered to provide an additional $4,000 but only as long as we reach our funding goal.

Where will the film go?

Our film will be released online through the Loading Docs website. It will be yours to share, watch, and treasure for free. We believe film has the power to create positive change. We're making this film accessible because we hope it will provide all generations with a fresh perceptive on death and ageing. We also want this story to inspire groups around the world to take up similar initiatives in their own communities.

Would you like to join us?

Since life is short and laughter is the best medicine, we hope you can take part in this exciting journey. Thank you for taking the time to check out our project. Every little bit counts and we greatly appreciate your support!