The Sea Inside

The film was directed by acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar. It stars Javier Bardem in a Golden Globe-winning performance as Ramón Sampedro. Bardem spent hours in makeup and adopted specific physical mannerisms to portray the bedridden quadriplegic accurately.

The 2004 film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also swept the Goya Awards, which are Spain's equivalent of the Oscars, winning 14 awards including Best Film and Best Director. It was heavily praised for its sensitive and emotional handling of the euthanasia debate.

Yes, it is the true story of Ramón Sampedro, a Spanish sailor who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident at age 25. He fought a 28-year legal battle for the right to end his own life. His case brought the debate over the right to die to the forefront of Spanish and international society.

While the legal system repeatedly denied his right to a medically assisted suicide, Ramón ultimately finds a way to end his life on his own terms. To avoid implicating his friends and family legally, he consumes cyanide that was procured for him. The film concludes with the publication of his final poem.