Micah Truman worked in China for many years. He and his wife then left for the U.S., where he continued his career in finance. After learning about the new science of human composting, he contacted the inventor and learned as much as he could about the subject. Over a few years, he founded the company Return Home, focusing on this third end-of-life choice (burial and cremation being the main options).
It’s more “green” than the other two; cremation puts a large amount of CO2 into the atmosphere, and burial puts heavy embalming fluids into the ground. Micah had the system’s science down, but wasn’t considering the mourners who might want to participate in closure with their loved ones. He decided to create a comfortable place near the vault containing the body where the family could gather. He also realized the value of having a funeral director to help make the entire experience peaceful and loving.
Working at a fast pace for years, pouring all his time and money into the project, took a toll on his marriage. It was a constant battle to try to make the business profitable. Micah is clearly a sympathetic and sensitive person who believes in what he is doing. Instead of hurting the earth, this process turns a body into compost that can be returned to the earth to replenish it. If you aren’t convinced of the advantages of his system by the end of the film, I’d be surprised.
The story provides both informative detail about the process and a touching account of the personal journey, offering a surprisingly pleasing perspective on the subject matter.