One young film director is tackling what it means to ‘man up’ in the face of grief with the backing of mental health groups and film industry king pins.
Lochlan Graham’s short film Breaking Point will be released on January 31, the film-makers are hoping to make it all the way to Cannes.
The film has become a passion project for many Aussie film veterans both above and below the line.
Geoffrey Hall (Chopper, 2000) and Kriv Stenders (Red Dog, 2010) have provided mentorship throughout the film’s creation and Rohan Sforcina volunteered his sound expertise, eager to support the initiative.
For Lochie, the eager uptake of the short film by leaders of the metal health and screen sector helps raise the profile on an issue that is too often left unspoken.
“The film is an expression of what men’s mental health can look like in Australia and potential ways to deal with it,” says Lochie.
“43% of men will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life, by removing the stigma tied to men’s mental health hopefully more conversations are had and treatment sought.
“Rather than a worst case scenario I wanted to make a film showing what a solution can look like. It’s two men struggling but reaching out. A five minutes of conversation can mean a lot to a guy, a chat and a joke at the end can make a world of difference.
“I was inspired by the personal journeys of men around me and some of my own experiences, that fueled a desire to explore the relationships between men and their mental health, through grief and loss.
“You don’t have to be crazy emotionally intelligent to reach out or open up. It is a unique opportunity to show Australian men how simple it can be.”
The creation of Breaking Point has been a natural progression from Lochie’s first film Run, which explored teenage boys’ mental health after being touched by loss in his own family.
Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann will be hosting a Q&A panel prior to the screening.
A mental health ambassador, Lehmo has previously been the face of Wellways Australia’s ‘Stampede Stigma’ campaign, which aimed to break down negative perceptions of seeking treatment for men’s mental health.
“There is no shame in facing mental health challenges. Sharing our journeys with family, friends and work colleagues lightens the load and helps to reduce the stigma,” says Lehmo.
A cause close to Lochlan’s heart, he hopes that after Breaking Point does the film festival circuit, he can gift it as a resource for men’s mental health charities.
Breaking Point will premiere on 31st Jan at 9am at Cinema Como in South Yarra, Victoria
