A daughter fulfills a very unique postmortem request from her father in the affecting short documentary, My Dead Dad. While the title alone may elicit the assumption that this is a somber film, directors Erik Osterholm and Abby Ellis capture the celebratory aspect of honoring a loved one, and the result is an unforgettable and touching reflection on individuality and commitment to family.

Christopher Gray was an eccentric man. A former streetscape journalist for the New York Times, Chris spent most of his time looking at old buildings in the city, usually trying to convince his daughter Olivia to accompany him. Before his untimely passing at just 66 years old, Chris had made it clear in his will that he didn’t want a traditional burial or cremation. His dying wish was that his skeletal remains would be reassembled and displayed in his high school’s science lab. Unconventional? Sure. Crazy? Absolutely, but that didn’t stop Olivia from finding the joy and humor in following through with her late dad’s final request.

The film begins at the point in the story when Olivia comes face to face, or rather, face to skull, with the skeletal remains of her dad propped up on a rolling tripod. Enlisting her aunt to accompany her, Olivia embarks on a road trip to bring her dad home, stopping at tourist spots to document the adventure with her dad one last time.

Running just 25 minutes long, My Dead Dad is a darkly comedic family drama that offers an unexpected outlook on how we view death. Olivia undergoes such a unique and uncommon experience with such grace, and the filmmaking team does a commendable job capturing this moment. The triumphant score is sure to spark an emotional flurry within the audience, as we’re left to reflect on the relationships we have with the loved ones in our lives.