Ree and Meaghan Wright follow queer disability rights advocate and activist April Hubbard as they navigates the end of life on their own terms in the non-judgmental and thought provoking documentary The Last Days of April. A film that’s bound to rub some people the wrong way, The Last Days of April dares to ask the viewer how much society can make someone with incurable, painful, but not-yet-fatal disabilities suffer in mental and physical agony and why, in some cases, medically assisted death can bring peace and closure. In a disabled life where one rarely has control over their own trajectory and care, just knowing that such an option exists can bring a sense of peace.
Halifax native Hubbard has been disabled their entire life, but in grade 11, when a tumour was noticed and they were diagnosed with a tethered spine, that was kind of the point where young April knew things would never get better. Now as an adult, Hubbard is prescribed some of the highest levels of painkillers possible to help mask the enormity of their condition. They have PTSD after many rounds of failed treatments, and outside of some sort of miracle, Hubbard’s condition will only deteriorate over time, not improve. They’ve also grown weary with all of the bureaucracy surrounding lifelong disability, likening it to a forced vow of poverty that requires them to stay poor in order to keep receiving the benefits she needs to survive. With all that weighing on them, Hubbard made the hard decision to apply for Medical Assistance in Dying, or MAID for short. The incurable and painful nature of their condition got April approved, and the Wrights follow as Hubbard deals with the reactions to the decision, while making the most of the time they have left.
The Last Days of April is clear minded, open, honest, and perhaps most importantly, considerate of both its subject and those who might not agree with them. Some of the best scenes the Wrights capture come when sitting down with one of Hubbard’s closest colleagues, podcaster Andrew Gurza, who doesn’t necessarily agree with April’s approach, but is able to explain why some people in the disabled community could just as easily agree or disagree with the decision to apply for MAID.
It also helps that Hubbard is a complicated person to follow around. They’re not infallible, or perfect, and some of their personal decisions (even beyond the decision to apply for MAID) might not make sense to the average viewer. But these are the types of people that are most fascinating to watch. It’s great to have a film spark conversations built around someone who has never used clearly drawn lines to define themselves.
While it would’ve been nice to have some additional pro and con voices on display here to become part of what feels like a larger conversation about quality of life care, The Last Days of April forces the viewer to think and confront complicated questions about disability, healthcare, economics, bureaucracy, and even sexuality without judgment.
The Last Days of April screened as part of the 2026 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
