Funerals can be great, and they can be nasty.
A college friend died in a car accident when I was 17. The crematorium was packed out with just about everyone who knew him, to the point that the doors were left open at the back so that those who couldn't find a space on the floor inside could hear.

I remember very little of the service, just bits and pieces that don't really seem to fit together anymore, but I do remember looking around in that hall and seeing all those faces so shocked. I reckon for 80% of them it was their first funeral. It was a real celebration of his short life.

The next funeral I went to I filmed. I had been asked to - it wasn't a weird Peeping Tom thing. Apparently a member of the family lived in Australia and couldn't make it at such short notice, but wanted to see the service.

I understood that it had all been OK'd by the rest of the family, but to say I wasn't made welcome would be an understatement. Nasty glances all round, "what's *he* doing *that* for?" whispers etc.

I sat at the back with the camera, gave the guy the tape at the end, and legged it. I didn't wait around for the aftermath. It seemed a lot of people had it in their mind that the funeral should be a very sombre affair, and the camera ruined that (though it made no sound, or obstructed it in anyway). The negativity towards it helped to spoil it, and while I can sorta understand that, I don't agree with it.

And I feel real bad that I was partly to blame for those people having such a bad final memory of the deceased.
(Captain Skippy pooed in a bag and left it on your doorstep, Sun 14 May 2006, 9:34, Reply)