Ep. 22: Sophie DeWorken, "Purgatory Processing"

AMUSEMENT, ANXIETY & THE AFTERLIFE

Stuck in the Afterlife's Waiting Room, He Still Thinks He's Late for Work

In "Purgatory Processing," director Sophie DeWorken reimagines the afterlife as a soul-sorting DMV—where being dead doesn’t stop you from obsessing over productivity. In this RFN Indie Fest selection, DeWorken chats with guest host MK Martey about turning existential dread into absurdist comedy, building a purgatorial bureaucracy with $300 and some foam panels, and casting her family as deadpan angels and office workers. Her film follows Sean, a high-strung character too busy to realize he's dead, forcing audiences to confront their own workaholic tendencies and ask, “Was my life worth it?” Blending satire, subtle biblical easter eggs, and a touch of DIY filmmaking magic, "Purgatory Processing" is a surreal, surprisingly tender look at life, death, and the office in between.