For World Suicide Prevention Day, CALM have teamed up with 101 London and Hungry Man to give a rare glimpse at the inner monologues many men battle with alone – using the actual words of men going through depression and suicidal thoughts.
"The thing most likely to kill me is me”. If you're a man under 45 and said this, you'd be right. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. Yet it's so often left unsaid.
Director David Allain wrote a script inspired by verbatim theatre, saying, 'I wanted to create mini scenes that aren’t what we expect to see and yet are rooted in the journeys of real men.'
'I’ve been that person that says, "But he seemed fine the other week." It shook me to my core - the dreadful realisation of being too late to mollify the inner conflict of someone you were close to. So I jumped at this opportunity when it arose, hoping never to experience that feeling of being too late to listen or do something again. It’s vital to listen while we can, and to encourage others to see how talking really can save lives.'
The narrative arcs with speeches from an ensemble cast including Ashley Thomas ('24: Legacy') and Marc Pickering ('Boardwalk Empire'), the score was provided by musician and BBC Radio 6 DJ Tom Robinson. Watch it below:
This World Suicide Prevention Day, don't leave it unsaid. Share the film.
CREDITS
CALM 'Smokescreen Silence'
Director & Writer: David Allain
Production Company: Hungry Man
Producer: Tom Gardner
Executive Producer: Matt Buels
Hungry Man
Agency: 101 London
Creative Director: Joe Bruce
Cast: Ashley Thomas, Marc Pickering, Tom Robinson, Troy Glasgow, Michael Dixon,
Kevin Jay, Tim Berrington
Composer: Tom Robinson
Director of Photography: Richard Mott
Editor: Kevin Palmer (Ten Three)
Production Designer: Kajsa Soderlund
Colourist: Richard Fearon (MPC)
Special Thanks: Anna Shaffer, Annabel Bates, Elly Condron, Ed Hoadley, Luke Raffety, Alice White.
Huge thanks to the Octopus Foundation for generously helping to cover the production costs of the film.
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