Death is something we will all one day face. So why is it so hard for doctors to talk about dying with their patients? And how can the medical profession better help people navigate the final chapters of their lives with confidence, direction and purpose?

Renowned surgeon and New Yorker writer Atul Gawande explored those questions in his #1 New York Times bestselling book, Being Mortal.

Now, Gawande teams with FRONTLINE on a Feb. 10 documentary that challenges us all to reexamine how we think about death and dying.

Two years in the making, Being Mortal is a provocative, powerful, and deeply personal look at how and why, in Gawande’s words, “medicine fails the people it’s supposed to help” at the end of life.

Through the intimate stories of patients, their families and their doctors, the documentary also explores what’s being done to turn the tide — and how asking the simple question, “What matters most if your time becomes short?” can help every single one of us live lives that are meaningful all the way until the very end.

Also this month, we’ll bring you a rebroadcast of our investigation into the relationship between the iconic tire company Firestone and the infamous Liberian warlord Charles Taylor — a film Fortune called “gripping,” and The New York Times praised as “an example of the reason we bother to scrutinize history.”

Here’s a closer look at our February lineup:

Feb. 3 | Firestone and the Warlord

FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate Firestone’s secret history in Liberia.

Feb. 10 | Being Mortal

FRONTLINE follows renowned author and surgeon Atul Gawande as he explores the relationships doctors have with patients who are nearing death.

Check your local PBS listings here.

Patrice Taddonio, Senior Digital Writer, FRONTLINE

Email:

patrice_taddonio@wgbh.org

Twitter:

@ptaddonio