I'm Making A Movie!

So...

Three years ago, my girlfriend's brother died by suicide. He had just started college and it was a shock to everyone (as it usually is). I never really knew how to help my girlfriend through this time and to be honest, I still don't. But I knew that I could listen. And hold her as she cried. And I did so through countless occasions with the dominating thought at the back of my mind that some day I would do something to fight back. To bring awareness to the stigma of suicide, depression and mental illness.

Finally I'm getting my opportunity to do just that. I wrote a short ten minute film about finding the hope within ourselves to choose to face another day when we're at our lowest, which we will be filming this Summer. It's disguised as a mystery / noir kind of film about a Salesman that knocks on Charlie's door and offers him a way out. I guess it's my own little personification of what the experience of depression has been to me, as I've battled my own demons.

I'm a lifelong Reds fan and have been a member of Redszone for over ten years, even though I don't post much. I read it every day though and don't even bother closing the tab in my browser. Growing up, I remember watching the games with my dad and syncing the radio broadcast with the TV before MLB TV made it easy.

Anyway, the Redszone moderators were gracious enough to allow me the opportunity to make my pitch to this community and I can't thank them enough for that. If you are so inclined, I'd so very much appreciate any help you can give in helping me bring this story to life. Even just sharing this project with others will be so helpful. And if any of you have experience with suicide and/or depression, I would love to hear your story.

You can find out more about my project here:
https://igg.me/at/EfUJSAjw9EQ/x/21891708#/

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and go Reds!

Cheers!

I unfortunately have 2 experiences with close friends and suicide in college. The first was a surprise, he had been student body president in college, was well liked, never seemed unhappy. He graduated and got married, had a kid and seemed a great life. He ended up splitting up with his wife and just wasn't the same, became paranoid and irrational. He and I spent a lot of time together then as I was one of the few still in college from when he was there and he lived in the same area still. We talked a lot but I never saw the signs. He spent the night with me on occasion when it wasn't a good idea for him to drive home. One night he crashed at my place, when I awoke he wasn't on the couch where I had left him the night before but there was a bullet on the table in front of it. 2 days later I got a call they had found his body in the parking lot of a library in Florida, a gun in one hand, and picture of his infant son in the other.
We had a mutual friend in college that we were always concerned about in this regard, he seemed depressed, talked about suicide occasionally. He was a fun guy and very well liked. When our first friend committed suicide, this other friend talked to all of us and told us how sorry he was that he ever concerned us over him and suicide and considered suicide, he said he saw how it impacted us all- including him- and that he would never consider it. He graduated and started a business in the college town afterwards-a bar that students hung out at and had a great time with him. He had out group of friends there one night, had a nice dinner for us all, hung out, drank and had great time. A few nights later after he closed the bar, he went home with a few and hung out til they went to bed, then went out to his car and put a shotgun in his mouth. This one hit hard, we realized the great night he had given us a few nights before was his goodbye. I can't say I have ever recovered from any of this and get upset when I hear of/see others hurting in such a way they don't know what other choice to have, as well as the impact on those left behind.
Best wishes ion the film, would love to see it when its completed.