Soft Surrender Screening

About this event

THE SOFT SURRENDER ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY FREE COMMUNITY SCREENINGS

NOVEMBER 7TH AT HATCH AUDITORIUM, THE LIBRARY CENTER

SPRINGFIELD, MO — Hospice Foundation for Outreach and Randy Bacon Photography are proud to present The Soft Surrender, a feature-length documentary film and portrait art and storytelling photo exhibition by photographer and filmmaker Randy Bacon, showing November 7th at Hatch Auditorium, The Library Center.

Created in partnership with Hospice Foundation for Outreach, this film explores the profound emotional terrain of end-of-life experiences through the voices of patients, families, physicians, nurses, chaplains, and caregivers. With honesty, humor, vulnerability, and astonishing beauty, The Soft Surrender reframes how we understand life’s final chapter — revealing not just grief, but clarity, connection, and courage.

The film premiered at the historic Gillioz Theatre, approximately one year ago, to a sold-out audience of more than 900 people, receiving overwhelming emotional response and standing ovations.

“End-of-life is often seen as a place of fear or silence,” says director Randy Bacon. “But what I witnessed is the opposite — a place filled with truth, connection, meaning, and even joy. The Soft Surrender is not a film about dying. It’s a film about living.”

Through Bacon’s cinematic portraiture and intimate conversational style, the film invites viewers to slow down, breathe, reflect, and reimagine the last chapter of life — not as something to avoid, but as a space where humanity is at its most honest and beautiful.

The Hatch Auditorium gallery will open on Saturday, November 7, starting at 10am so people may come to view the full portrait art exhibition. There will be two separate film screenings: an afternoon screening will be held from 1pm – 4pm, and an evening screening will take place from 6pm – 9pm. Both screenings will be followed with a post-film Q & A Panel featuring photographer + filmmaker Randy Bacon, Dr. Melissa Gaines (CoxHealth) who stars in the film, and HFO Executive Director, Anjanette Labellarte. Hatch Auditorium is located behind The Library Center at 4653 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, MO 65810. Following the opening, the exhibition will be available for public viewing during regular gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Community members, families, educators, care providers, healthcare workers, and anyone who believes in a normalizing end-of-life conversations and embracing the circle of life are encouraged to attend and experience the film and exhibition.

For more information, contact mandy@randybacon.com.

About Hospice Foundation for Outreach

Hospice Foundation for Outreach is a not-for-profit organization that leads and supports communities to make a positive impact on the seriously and terminally ill by providing education, administering grants, fostering partnerships, and connecting families to appropriate resources.

About Randy Bacon Photography

Randy Bacon Photography creates portrait, film and storytelling projects that explore the human experience through honesty, compassion and connection. Through exhibitions, books and documentary films, Randy Bacon's work seeks to build understanding by inviting viewers to see people more fully and more deeply.