Mental Health and the Documentary Filmmaker with Rebecca Day

The Documentary Life

We doc filmmakers are no strangers to mental health. Whether by the very nature of being doc filmmakers or from the subjects of our documentaries, we're often dealing with levels of anxiety, stress, and/or depression on a daily basis.

Still it's not something that we often openly talk about. That is, not until recently, as more and more doc filmmakers and more and more documentary organisations are having open and honest discussions about the topic of mental health as it related to independent documentary filmmakers.

And our guest, documentary filmmaker and psychotherapist, Rebecca Day (Film in Mind) is often leading these discussions!

Enjoy today's episode as both Rebecca and I delve into this immensely important topic that may, in fact, be more relevant now than ever!

Topics Discussed

• ways in which our host has dealt with bouts of mental illness
• how doc filmmaking brought Rebecca Day to psychotherapy
• sustainability for the doc filmmaker is not only financial, but emotional
• how to immerse yourself in your subject but also protect yourself
• how we doc filmmakers can be dealing with the added stress & anxiety of the coronavirus

Additional Resources

The following resources come from Rebecca Day's Film in Mind site.

"The documentary career is as demanding and taxing as it is rewarding. On the one hand, there are the occasional honours, accolades, fellowships and grants, along with the impetus that your work can make a transformative difference in both moving the art form forward and making substantive social change. But the documentary profession is a long-odds game, one often fraught with disappointment and struggle."

In collaboration with IDA and D-Word, Rebecca discussed this topic with the documentary community. Here is a reflection on what took place.

"There is an incredible surge of supportive conversations, and the creation of an online community within our own sector, in ways that we haven't witnessed before."​

BFI Network - How to manage your mental health as a filmmaker during coronavirus

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