This past week Flawless traveled to the west coast and spent time watching films at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California. We were thrilled to be at the kick off for the inaugural Why We Rise “Changing Lives Through TV & Film” Series presented by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. This was a two-day event that presented screenings and panel discussions that directly addressed mental health, wellness, and how it impacts the Los Angeles community. The films selected were The Soloist, Princess of The Row, One Day At A Time, and Bedlam and they all provided their own perspective as to how mental health is the leading issue in the Los Angeles community.
The Soloist
The campaign began with the 10-year anniversary screening of The Soloist. This film was first a book that details the unlikely friendship between Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx). In this powerful story you will witness how Nathaniel goes from musical prodigy at Julliard to living homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. Nathaniel lived with untreated schizophrenia and throughout the movie it is evident how much it affects him. Nathaniel was chasing his dreams and then began to experience challenges in his life that he, nor the people around him, could understand at the time and as a result he lost everything he worked his whole life for. But the beauty of this film is that it shows you despite the challenges he faces Nathaniel is a person whose gratitude for life and compassionate for others is something we could not only admire, but learn from.
Princess of The Row
Princess of The Row follows around Alicia Willis (played by Tayler Buck) who is a young girl filled with resilience and love. Nothing will stop her from taking care of her father who lives homeless on skidrow. Being in the foster care system she often runs away from more comfortable situations after being adopted, but would rather sleep on the streets. Why? Because what this movie does is expose a flaw in our system with how we take care of our war veterans. Alicia’s father Beau (played by Edi Gathegi) transforms from a loving father to a mentally ill veteran after suffering an injury during the war. The system does not take care of him, he can no longer take care of himself, so a 12 year old girl has to. This is a real tear-jerker, so grab a tissue!
One Day At A Time
This is a TV series that does a wonderful job of addressing reality through comedy. The two episodes shown at the “Changing Lives Through TV & Film” campaign were “Hello Penelope” and “Anxiety.” These episodes focus on mental wellbeing and how the characters address their own mental health which included, substance use, depression, anxiety, cultural discrimination, PTSD, and more. These are often difficult subjects to discuss authentically, so the integration of comedy lessens some of that pressure while still addressing very necessary conversations. One Day At A Time will make you laugh, cry, and think critically all in one episode.
Bedlam
The finale of the weekend was the Los Angeles premiere of the Bedlam documentary. This documentary educates its viewers on the history of our national crisis surrounding how we take care of the seriously mentally ill through personal stories of inmates, patients, families, and medical providers. It is the type of documentary that you really feel like you get to know those involved in the film which makes their heartbreak become your heartbreak. The motivation for this documentary comes from psychiatrist Dr. Ken Rosenberg who was deeply affected by the death of his sister who lived with schizophrenia. This film shows how as a country we have turned our backs on those who need the most help.
After the conclusion of each film there was a panel discussion to help digest the material and get perspective from those involved in the films. The final panel was hosted by journalist Natalie Brunell and featured congressman Patrick Kennedy, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health director Jon Sherin, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, Senator Holly Mitchell, and Dr. Ken Rosenberg. This was an informative panel that included a range of topics and discussion to conclude the event. During this panel Jon Sherin said, “Connected communities look out for each other. If everyone is not included we failed and will never achieve well being at any level” and it is this piece of wisdom that best summarizes the overarching message for this wonderful initiative. Until we include everyone and especially our most marginalized, we are failing on every level.
