Survivors of Suicide Attempts Connect Through Their Experiences in ‘The S Word’ Documentary
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Logline: Dese’Rae Stage, suicide attempt survivor, is on mission to find fellow survivors and document their stories of unguarded courage, insight and humor. She discovers a community rising up to transform personal struggles into action on a national level.
Elevator Pitch:
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America. Every 13 minutes someone dies by suicide in this country. The amazing thing is that suicide is preventable. But, it is topic that has long been silenced and buried with the lives it’s claimed. Our documentary will shine a light on this topic and open the the much needed national conversation. “The S Word” is a film about humanity – people giving voice to their struggles in the hope that those intimate stories will help prevent further suicides. Amidst all the pain, these stories are really about life.
Production Team:
Director: Lisa Klein, “Of Two Minds” (2012)
Producer, Editor: Doug Blush, “The Invisible War” (2012), “Twenty Feet from Stardom” (2013), “The Hunting Ground” (2015)
Producer: Gianna Maria Smart, “The Sopranos” (HBO), “Enlightened” (HBO)
Producer: Kurt Norton, “These Amazing Shadows” (2011)
About the Film:
My family has lived and died through mental illness and suicide. My name is Lisa Klein, and I am the director of “The S Word.” As a survivor of both my father’s and brother’s suicides, I have wrestled with the guilt, shame, and confusion that surrounds it. Until very recently, first person narratives of people who have been suicidal were largely missing from this conversation. I intend to bring these voices to the center of the dialogue, allowing for new and creative approaches to suicide prevention.
Current Status: We are mid-way in our principal photography and are actively fundraising.
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