On Sunday, 16th March 2025, five members of the SAFMH National Mental Health Youth Forum were invited to attend a screening of Black People Don’t Get Depressed at the Jozi Film Festival by filmmaker Sara Hatira.
Read below for thoughts from the Forum members.
“The film screening was a truly enriching experience. I was particularly impressed by the storytelling from diverse individuals in the movie, which showcased the power of sharing lived experiences. Unlike traditional approaches that focus on symptoms or mental health education, this storytelling is more relatable to youth as well as old people. As a mental health activist, I firmly believe that storytelling is a crucial tool for raising awareness and promoting understanding. By sharing lived experiences of mental health conditions, we can foster empathy and encourage more open conversations. The film screening was particularly appropriate, as we prepare to meet in-person as a forum. It will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our forum and help us in our advocacy efforts.” – Marvin
“The film provided a raw and insightful look into the lives of individuals living with mental health challenges. It was a creative way to highlight the stigma, struggles, and resilience that these individuals face daily. It offered a deeper understanding of the complexities of mental health. This film is an important advocacy tool because it humanises mental health, promotes empathy, and it creatively encourages conversations that can lead to better awareness as well as challenging stereotypes.”- Onthatile
“The film showcased how mental health conditions have been regarded throughout different generations and illustrated the importance of inter-generational discussions about mental health. It highlighted the need for safe spaces for men to have open dialogues about mental health. Aversion to seeking professional support was pinpointed as possibly being the reason such spaces are necessary. Self-stigma and stigma in general continue to be barriers to accessing mental health care services and ending stigma around mental health conditions was a theme of the film. The film told the story of how mental health is viewed in the black community using various forms of media. Media is a powerful tool for advocacy and the film illustrates that. We also get to see the story through the lenses of the youth and meaningful youth engagement is important in advocating for change. Ultimately, we want to see change in how mental health is stigmatised and ”Black People Don’t Get Depressed” contributes to the cause.” – Lesego
“What stood out for me was incorporating different stories and views on mental health. We live in a society where there is still a lot of unlearning and learning that needs to happen. One thing I released was from the film was how taking care of your mental health it’s not just a once off thing. Not dealing with your mental health can be dangerous and childhood traumas that have been neglected can be something that can trigger and impact your mental health in the future. Being a well-known person also doesn’t mean you are immune to mental health struggles. I believe the media is a great platform that should be used to educate. I think this film is a great entry point for people who have no understanding of mental health at all. I do feel that there should a be a part two or just continuous storytelling about mental health as the more we see it on the screen, the more people we can reach and help with reducing stigma.” – Abigail
“An amazing film it was. It created a sense of relativity in the room, where we could all acknowledge the significance of taking care of mental health in our daily lives. I love the fact that it was expressed from creativity and it served served its message to the fullest. It’s always amazing to see mental health conversations take place within different settings and contexts, the film and panel discussion after was a good example of that.” – Senzo
Read more about our Youth Advocacy Forum here.
For more about the film, Black People Don’t Get Depressed, see here.
