THE MORGUE TWINS
In Rebecca Blandón‘s short film THE MORGUE TWINS, retired identical twin brothers Melvin and Marvin Morgan reflect on their over 20 years in the death-care industry.
In sixteen minutes, these men express a profound outlook on life and death that most of us would rather sweep under the rug. Audiences get a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a morgue, autopsy tools, and the Morgan brothers’ very specific and necessary jobs. They discuss the job’s unfathomable emotional toll. Even if they claim to disassociate, the audience can see it written all over their faces.
Besides the touching personal revelations, true crime fans will be riveted by the insider knowledge and what feel like secrets of the profession. (I’m looking at you, SVU faithful.) Melvin and Marvin are on a higher plane of humanity. These extraordinary gentlemen have lived their lives in service of everyone else. This short honors their legacy with all the respect and kindness they have earned.
The Morgue Twins premieres on Black Public Media’s (BPM) AfroPoP Digital Shorts series, Monday, October 19. Rebecca Blandón’s film follows retired mortuary technicians and identical twins Marvin and Melvin Morgan as they reflect on two decades of work in New York City’s death-care industry and consider their own mortality. The film will stream on Black Public Media’s YouTube channel.
For more than two decades, the Morgan twins, who were named after a funeral home, worked in close proximity to death. Melvin worked at Elmhurst Hospital, including when it was an epicenter of New York City’s COVID-19 pandemic; Marvin worked at the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office and served after tragedies like the September 11, 2001, attacks, and the American Airlines Flight 587 crash in Queens later that year. As technicians, their duties were exacting and intimate: collecting bodies, assisting with autopsies and caring for the dead. In their spare time, the twins advocated for the living — creating local sports youth leagues, advocating for voter rights, and collaborating with the city council to create a safe and thriving community. In the film, the brothers speak candidly about the toll their work has had on their psyches and how it informs their perspectives on life and death.
Blandón, a Nicaraguan-American documentary filmmaker born and raised in the Bronx, served as director, cinematographer and editor of the film. Her independent films, including Corpus Christi, Glen Eden and Run the Meter, have screened at festivals, been exhibited at museums and received support from The Bronx Documentary Center, The Jacob Burns Film Center, Rooftop Films and the New York State Council on the Arts. As a visual journalist, she has created award-winning work for news organizations including The New York Times, Axios, PBS Frontline and The Boston Globe.
BPM is a Harlem-based national media arts nonprofit that funds and helps distribute stories about the Black experience and supports the filmmakers and media makers who tell them.
“Rebecca’s film is a moving portrait of two brothers who spent more than two decades facing what most of us look away from, meeting death with professionalism, humanity and grace,” said Denise A. Greene, BPM director of programs and curator of AfroPoP Digital Shorts. “The twins’ service is part of an enduring tradition of care in Black communities, where tending to the deceased has long been an act of dignity, service and respect.”
With The Morgue Twins, BPM continues its commitment to advancing Black stories, despite Congress’s 2025 rescission vote, which defunded public media and eliminated $1.8 million from BPM’s budget. In response, BPM launched the Black Stories Production Fund, supported by a grassroots fundraising campaign. The 1.8 Million Donors campaign seeks to raise $9 million to help ensure that Black stories are never again left vulnerable to political interference or chronic underinvestment.
To support BPM’s Black Stories Production Fund, visit: https://secure.everyaction.com/IkFxVSdjX0qpQkceW1r27g2.
For more information about BPM, go to blackpublicmedia.org or follow it on social media at @blackpublicmedia (IG, FB, TikTok and LinkedIn).
ABOUT BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA:
Black Public Media supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For nearly 50 years, we’ve invested more than $18 million toward iconic documentaries and innovative immersive media projects. We help independent makers — especially those whose work might otherwise be overlooked — bring their stories to life and reach audiences.
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