A Pulitzer-winning anthropologist asks: what if facing death is the only way to truly live?
All Illusions Must Be Broken is a cinematic contemporization of the work of American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker whose book The Denial of Death won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction in 1974. Becker’s psychoanalytic exploration of human nature and his own personal testimony challenge us to move beyond our fears and see the beauty that surrounds our fragile lives.
Writing
Becker's prose adapted with poetic precision
Direction
Dunn and Sewell balance intellect and intimacy
Production
Visuals that make philosophy genuinely cinematic
Director
Jef Sewell
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Becker died of cancer at 49, just months before his Pulitzer win—he never knew his impact.
The film arrives as 'death positivity' trends on TikTok, proving Becker's 1973 thesis about our cultural moment.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
US
