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The S Word
TYPE: Documentary Feature
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: Production
LOGLINE
The S Word, a feature length documentary, will tackle one of the most unfathomable and cloistered issues of our time by telling stories of suicide attempt survivors, along with the families and loved ones who are left behind to suffer the anguish, guilt and confusion of death by suicide - the 10th leading cause of death in America.
SYNOPSIS
The word suicide brings conversations to a halt, and evokes primal fears of the darkest of all human experiences. Speaking the word itself is not the problem. The silence that so often follows is.
THE S WORD will tackle one of the most unfathomable and cloistered issues of our time and put a human face to it - delving into the hearts and minds of suicide attempt survivors, along with the families and loved ones who are left behind to suffer the anguish, guilt, and confusion of death by suicide. And we will continue to ask the question: is suicide preventable?
We will explore the intricacies of suicide through scientists, clinicians, and advocates, yet stay focused on the intimate voices of those with lived experience who are working to end the silence. We have included people who have not only survived, but have courageously transformed their personal struggles into strengths and action. After her suicide attempt, New York photographer Dese’rae Stage faced the glaring question, “What now?” She has since sought out other suicide survivors to create LiveThroughThis.com, which explores life on the other side of suicide through portraits and stories of attempt survivors. Craig Miller spent every day trying to talk himself out of suicide by writing out his thoughts. After a failed suicide attempt he once again turned to his salvation – writing. His book, “This is How It Feels” spreads the message that life is an opportunity. Psychologist April Foreman uses technology to save lives. “We can use social media to reach out to people who feel suicidal. We no longer have to wait for them to call us.”
The S Word will shine a light on a topic that has long been stigmatized and buried with the lives it’s claimed. Our goals are to open the conversation, reduce the shame and silence that has clung to suicide for far too long, and strive toward prevention of the 10th leading cause of death worldwide.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
As a survivor of both my father and brother's suicide, I have struggled with the whys for years, along with the guilt, shame, and confusion that lingers in suicide's wake. I'll never know why my dad choose to die. And, nobody talked about my brother. My mother could never bring herself to say the words, 'My son killed himself.' No mother should have to say that. Ever.
There is no more highly charged and personal issue for me, and for that reason I am driven to document it and open the conversation. It is time for our society to boldly talk about suicide because no family should have to experience that which radiates outward for generations to come. Thomas Joiner, a leading psychologist in suicide research, said in regards to his father's suicide, 'Something killed my father...and I am going to war with it.' This documentary is my war.
~ Lisa Klein, director
KEY CREW
Lisa Klein - Director
Lisa co-directed, OF TWO MINDS (2012), a journey into the lives of remarkable people living, struggling, and triumphing with bipolar disorder. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the United Film Festival, a SAMHSA VOICE Award, and an EIC Prism Award for best documentary, and has been seen by sold out audiences at special screenings across the country, as well as becoming a top documentary on Netflix. She co-owns MadPix, Inc., an independent production company in Los Angeles, with her husband Doug Blush.
Doug Blush - Producer/Supervising Editor
Doug is an award-winning editor, producer and director whose credits include the 2012 Academy Award Best Documentary nominee THE INVISIBLE WAR and the 2013 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary 20 FEET FROM STARDOM. Other documentary work includes WORDPLAY (2006), OUTRAGE (2009), FREAKONOMICS (2010), THESE AMAZING SHADOWS (2011), OF TWO MINDS (2012), and the new festival favorite SLINGSHOT (2014), as well as the upcoming Kirby Dick film on college sexual assault, as editor and associate producer.
Gianna Maria Smart - Producer
Gianna is an Emmy Award winning producer for her work on THE SOPRANOS (2007). Most recently she Co-Produced the HBO Series ENLIGHTENED (2012) with Mike White and Laura Dern. After grad school, Gianna worked in TV as a Post Production Coordinator on NORTHERN EXPOSURE and an Associate Producer on JUDGING AMY. She became Post Production Coordinator at DREAMWORKS and oversaw the animated features PRINCE OF EGYPT and ANTS.
Lee Iovino - Assistant Editor, Graphic Designer
Lee oversaw the creation of FARM TO FRIDGE, Mercy For Animal’s powerful mini-documentary exposing the horrific conditions of America’s factory farms. The hard-hitting film, narrated by Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell, has been viewed over twenty million times since its release. Lee was also the editor of the documentary BEHIND THE ORANGE CURTAIN, which examines the prescription pill epidemic in Orange County and won the Orange County Filmmaking Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Lee has worked with the makers of documentaries Forks Over Knives and Unity (a follow-up to the acclaimed Earthlings).
Rebekka Müller - Social Media Coordinator
Originally from Germany, Rebekka is a Master's Student in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts at San Francisco State University with a background in videography and public relations. She lost her father through suicide when she was seventeen. Today, her goal is to have a far-reaching and positive impact on global society through storytelling for social change. She is pursuing a documentarian career in order to give a voice to unheard communities and raise awareness for social injustice.
Patricia DiLeva - Production Coordinator
Patricia is a very experienced project coordinator with credits as the promotions director for the Los Angeles Marathon and events project director for Perelman, Pioneer & Co., an events marketing firm.
Josh Bayer - Assistant Editor, Additional Camera
Josh Bayer is a writer, director, editor and cinematographer from West Bloomfield, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 and and his short films (ranging from the brazenly experimental to the darkly comedic) have appeared in film festivals around the country (including Palm Springs, Accolade, Zero, and Detroit Independent). Having recently moved to Los Angeles, his most recent work has been with MadPix films as an assistant editor and videographer on their latest documentary THE S WORD.
Kurt Norton - Producer
Kurt co-directed and co-produced THESE AMAZING SHADOWS (2011), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, is distributed through IFC/Sundance Selects, won best documentary at Savannah and Louisville film festivals, a Cine Golden Eagle, and had multiple broadcasts on the PBS series Independent Lens.
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