Dying man gets to watch 'Dune 2' before its release due to a special gesture by the director

Films have a way of touching the human soul in a way no other medium can. It is a path people can undertake when they feel frustrated by their present circumstances. They get transported to another world when reality gets unbearable. Therefore franchises like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Star Trek still hold such a special place in people's hearts. A man at the end of his life wanted to enjoy his love for movies one last time by watching Dune 2, per The Washington Post. Unfortunately, he was not to live till the movie's release. Therefore, a charity pulled all the strings to get the director to bring a copy to his bedside.

The charity succeeded and the director Denis Villeneuve’s assistant came with a laptop containing the whole movie six weeks before its worldwide release at the palliative facility where the man was living. The man who was in his 50s saw the movie with his friend. Both of them had to sign a non-disclosure agreement and keep their phones outside to prevent any leaks. Josée Gagnon, whose charity made the moment happen, said that the whole endeavor was a “race against the clock.” Gagnon runs the Canadian charity L’Avant whose objective is to help people who are at the end of their lives with their wishes. It was only after the film had been released that she was able to talk about this sweet gesture from the director.

It was in January that the woman put up a Facebook post asking people for help to reach Denis. “I would like to make some magic for a person at the end of their life,” said the post. They mentioned that quick action was needed as the man only had “a few more weeks left.” They did not share any other details about the man or his request. In their follow-up post, the charity shared that they had been able to connect to the director. Gagnon shared on her social media that Villeneuve and his wife, Tanya Lapointe, an executive producer of “Dune: Part Two,” were “extremely touched by this man’s last wish” when they spoke.

Initially, the plan was for the director and his wife to fly the man to Los Angeles and watch the film with him. But, sadly that couldn't happen. Therefore, arrangements were made for Villeneuve’s assistant to fly to Quebec with the director’s laptop and take it to the palliative facility. The man watched the film with French subtitles. He was in such bad health that he could not view the full 2 hours and 46 minutes of the film. Halfway through it, he got in so much pain that he had to stop. A few days later he bid farewell to the world. Through this incident, Gagnon hopes that people feel inspired to chase their dreams no matter what difficulty life puts in their path. “People have to continue to believe that everything is possible when it is done with heart,” she said.

The man was not able to watch the full movie, but this does not sadden Gagnon. The man had lived a very difficult life and to see so many people working diligently towards his wish “was worth all the gold in the world” for him. It was the love that he felt at the end that mattered. Gagnon herself has not watched the film but plans to do it soon. “I’ll smile like an idiot the whole time thinking about this beautiful story,” she said. “Thinking of him."