Open Secrets
A feature film on mental health problems
Mind in Harrow, a charitable organisation working towards helping people with mental health problems, featured a short movie ‘Open Secrets’ to bring awareness on manic depression affecting the lives of not only those suffering from it but also their respective families.
Manic depression, clinically known as Bipolar disorder, is a condition in which people experience abnormally elevated and abnormally depressed states for a period of time in a way that interferes with functioning of normal or day to day activities.
Open Secrets, directed by Mr. Azeem Khan, was featured in the Safari cinema in Harrow on 19th March 2009. This short film features a young Asian boy who is suffering from manic depression, is being receiving treatment in a mental health facility and has no support from his family to deal with the problem. This particular aspect brings forward the ignorance of such families wherein mental health problems are often considered to be a taboo and are hidden so as not to become a social outcast.
The awareness about such problems is much needed in the BME community where mental health problems are not openly discussed.
This feature was attended by a strong crowd of almost 250 people represented by organisations like EKTAA (South Asian Service User Group, Open Up Project at Mind), Harrow User Group ( Mind in Harrow) Social Services to name a few.