A global documentary about mental health is set to be the massive group hug we all need. It’ll be filmed by everyday people sharing their stories so no one feels alone, and you can get involved too!
Global (27 April, 2023) — Back in the mid-2010s, ‘the world needs a group hug’ became a powerful mantra across social media platforms like Tumblr.
Fast forward a few years and many global events (especially the ones that physically separated us all the most, yes we’re squinting at you COVID-19 pandemic) the sentiment couldn’t have become more true over time.
Now, documentary makers are taking the idea one step further, and bringing the world together through something that certainly feels like a global group hug.
A powerful documentary is in the works. It’s about mental health and it’s going to be told by the world.
‘I Hope This Helps’ shared the open call for people to tell their stories and journies on 18 April. Here, the project creators nodded to their belief in the power of connection through honest storytelling.
Set to be a first-of-its-kind feature film, the doc about all of us (or at least, things many of us have felt, thought and overcome). How will it work? Well, by breaking mental health stigmas in the simplest way—by talking about it.
People across the globe are invited to share what gets them through the day. And how they navigate their own mental health journies. And what mental health victories and challenges look like to them.
The doc creators think that one story can help someone else’s, even if they aren’t the one on camera and we think that’s something to be excited about.
Challenging traditional narratives and taboos is never simple. But, it starts with encouraging people to open their eyes and look a little further than the world they know.
And sometimes, there’s no feeling more comforting than realising someone we’ve never met might just understand us more than we understand ourselves.
You can learn more about ‘I Hope This Helps’ here, and consider entering a proudly South African story while you’re at it.
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