OTHERFIELD presents a screening of Almost Heaven, Carol Salter's 2017 tender and reflective portrait of Ying Ling, a young woman training to become a mortician at one of China’s largest funeral homes, was awarded Best Documentary at the 2017 British Independent Film Awards.

Despite being away from home for the first time, and her fear of ghosts and dead bodies, Ying Ling learns the spa rituals; cleaning and massaging corpses while grieving families look on. She finds solace in her macabre role through playful banter with another young mortician, and together, they spend their time off talking about their hopes, fears and plans for the future. As one of many rural-to-urban teenagers working to support her family, Ying Ling must immerse herself in the surreal and grinding world of China’s industrialisation of mortality.

With intimate access and moments of black humour, Almost Heaven follows Ying Ling as she learns about life while surrounded by death.

“An insightful pleasure” - Sight & Sound

★★★★  “Salter’s well-observed portrait.” - The Sunday Times

 ★★★★ “Potent filmmaking” - Time Out

“A vibrant, human story” - Hollywood Reporter

Best Documentary, British Independent Film Awards 2017

Best Documentary nominee, Berlinale 2017

Crystal Bear nominee, Berlinale 2017

Carol Salter

Carol Salter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a background in fine art.

Her critically acclaimed feature ALMOST HEAVEN, is a tender portrait of a young teenager, training to become a mortician in China. It won Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards 2017 and was double-nominated for the Glashütte Original Documentary Award and a Crystal Bear at Berlin International Film Festival 2017.

Her previous films have been screened internationally. UNEARTHING THE PEN (2011), a young Ugandan boy’s struggle for the right to an education, picked up 10 Awards including Best Documentary at Encounters, the Al Jazeera Golden Award and Aesthetica Film Festival Best Film. MAYOMI (2009) about a Sri Lankan woman’s attempt to put her life back together after the Tsunami, also won several awards and was screened internationally.

A graduate of the National Film and TV School, Carol has worked as a director, a self-shooter, and film editor.  Her films are intimate stories about the individual, exploring the wider social and political issues of the human condition.

Otherfield

Launched in 2011 and dedicated to re-imagining the possibilities of nonfiction filmmaking, Otherfield is a grassroots gathering of non-fiction filmmakers and film lovers who have come together to create a space where we can discuss, share and support one another through the creative processes, ethics, politics and well being needed in our field of making, away from industry pressure. Our aim is to empower through dialogue and bring together filmmakers from all walks of life to listen, learn and grow in an environment which is fun, safe and away from the big smoke.

Tickets are on sale for this year’s edition which will be taking place from 1 – 3 August 2025 at Laughton Lodge, East Sussex.

Ticket link: https://www.otherfield.uk/