Escapade Media to distribute Osher Günsberg's mental health documentary

Escapade Media has secured rest of world rights from Sydney based, Lune Media for their new factual program, "Osher Günsberg: A Matter Of Life And Death" (1x56’ & 65’ HD). Commissioned by SBS and premiering on September 19, this documentary tackles a very global issue of mental health and suicide in Australia, and it's produced by SBS and Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW and directed by Jodi Boylan.

"Osher Günsberg: A Matter of Life and Death" provides a comprehensive portrait of suicide in Australia today. Through the prism of Osher Günsberg’s own mental health experience, he’ll investigate why suicide rates remain high in Australia, and feature what is being done to mitigate the problem. The documentary will focus on solutions and what Australia and Australians can do to reduce the national suicide rate.

Lune Media Executive Producer Leonie Lowe said: “Millions of Australians, whatever their background, are impacted by issues surrounding mental health, mental illness and suicide – either directly, or through the experiences of friends and loved ones. Making this documentary we’ve had the privilege of meeting those working at the frontline of suicide prevention in Australia, as well as others who’ve been personally affected, including survivors and family members. By bravely sharing their stories, they’ve helped us put a face to the issues that affect so many of us. And by challenging the stigma associated with mental health and mental illness, and highlighting the solutions that are out there, we hope we might be able to inspire many others to be brave and ask for the help they need.”

Presenter Osher Günsberg said: “Suicide is a very real and prevalent problem in our community, and I know first hand what it’s like to experience suicidal ideation. Two profound symptoms of mental illness are that it can make you feel like you're the only person this is happening to, and it's going to feel this bad forever. Both of those things are false and in this film we show that every day in Australia, there are people working tirelessly to try and prevent suicide, and it’s so important to know that there is help out there, and there are ways forward. I really hope that with this SBS documentary, we are able to not only offer hope to those suffering and show how much help is available – but to also help those who love someone that is struggling to understand just what happens when your brain starts to work in unhelpful ways. We want to encourage honest conversations between friends, family, and colleagues. At the very least, we need to recognise Australia’s suicide crisis, because you cannot fix a problem if you don’t acknowledge it exists.”

Natalie Lawley, Managing Director at Escapade Media states, “This is a must-see documentary. Osher Günsberg’s bravery is significant, using his own story to speak to this incredibly important topic, and document some of the ground-breaking scientific techniques on offer. This is a global story of reckoning and hope”.