A Story About Voices Selected for Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
Australian filmmaker James Barahanos has been officially selected for the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF) with his documentary A Story About Voices, a 35-minute hybrid documentary that explores schizophrenia through the lived experience of Shell, an Australian/Māori woman who describes herself as “the luckiest schizophrenic.”
Combining participatory, vérité and first-person documentary techniques, the film incorporates Shell’s own video diaries to create an intimate and deeply personal portrait of life with ongoing auditory hallucinations. Moving beyond clinical and sensationalised portrayals, A Story About Voices offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience schizophrenia through the perspective of someone living with the condition. The film explores themes of identity, family, resilience and belonging, while highlighting the importance of authentic representation in mental health storytelling.
“We didn’t set out to make a film about schizophrenia. We set out to make a film about a person living a life that includes schizophrenia,” said director James Barahanos. “Too often schizophrenia is portrayed through fear, misunderstanding or stereotype. Through a collaborative filmmaking process, Shell was able to tell her own story in her own voice, offering audiences a more personal and human understanding of a frequently misrepresented condition.”
Created through a close collaborative process with an all-AFTRS alumni crew, A Story About Voices comes off the back of Barahanos’ previous documentary, A Story About Lights (currently streaming on ABC iview). The new project seeks to foster a greater understanding of one of society’s most misunderstood mental health conditions. Its selection for the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival recognises the film’s contribution to contemporary documentary practice and its commitment to creating insight, empathy and meaningful conversation around mental health.
Screening Information:
Festival: Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
Session: Shorts Session 3 (Includes filmmaker Q&A)
Date & Time: Sunday, 12 July 2026 at 10:15 am
Venue: Cinema Nova, Melbourne
