The Common Thread. Communications & Media Assignment

The Common Thread
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The Common Thread
The Common Thread is a six-part documentary web-series aiming to break down the stigma associated with mental health and suicide. The filmmaker, Darius Devas, ventures through Australia meeting and conversing with an array of young Australians who struggle with mental illness. Darius shares their experiences in a raw form as well as highlighting tools, strategies, and interventions that have supported and continue to assist them in their recovery. The web series deserves recognition for highlighting an issue that most people in the society struggle with, yet they shun addressing since it is considered as a weakness and stigmatization.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (2017) focuses on collecting and preserving Australia-related films that include the Australian community and highlight meaningful content through digitization. The Common Thread encompasses six parts, where each episode has inspiring stories from Australians all over the country, from the city, country, coast, and outback areas. Darius Devas is passionate about mental health since he understands the stigma associated with the disorder, given that he suffers from anxiety. Therefore, the web series comes from a relatable space where individuals are vulnerable with their stories, hoping to create more awareness and break down the stigma.
Over the past two decades, Australian cinema has transformed and engaged in relational approaches. Goldsmith (2010) notes that it centers on how cultural and spatial relations of social actors influence and impact influential structures within the society and transforming community thought process on specific issues. Therefore, The Common Thread focuses on expounding on mental health issues among youths in Australia. The web series sparks the conversation about mental health and encourages people on the importance of sharing their struggles while seeking assistance.
The Australian national cinemas work to be domestic while aligning themselves to serve international audiences (O’Regan, 1996). The making of The Common Thread highlighted how many young people craved for a safe space to be seen, listened, and understood. Everyone involved in the web series shares something relatable, not only to the local community but also to the international community. Devas states that every person involved in the short documentary had something meaningful to share and enjoyed the opportunity to be heard safely. McGorry (2005) explains that mental illness affects everyone in the community, yet it is under-treated and overlooked. However, it is a topic rarely addressed, and when in conversations, it is stigmatized.
Screen Australia backed The Common Thread towards creating awareness about mental illness. It highlights the degree of youth struggles with mental disorders in Australia and the associated stigma (Hing, 2019). Devas hoped that the film would spark the conversation and encourage other people struggling with mental illness to understand that they have a community. Devas argues that talking about mental illness does not eliminate the problem, but it empowers more people to work through the issue and feel part of a more significant community. Therefore, the web series encourages people struggling with mental health to comprehend that they are not alone, and more people are working through their struggles.
Darius has created other short-form documentary series such as Goa Hippy Tribe, which secured an interactive award in SXSW in 2012. Therefore, the production of The Common Thread proved Devas prowess in sharing thought-provoking and conversation starter films. Partners such as headspace and Sane validated the film in sourcing respondents and financing the project to ascertain its safety and appropriateness to the audience. The partners contributed majorly in sharing the series in the various social media platforms, showcasing the significance of being vulnerable and sharing about mental health struggles.
The Common Thread is personal for Darius Devas, beyond his struggles with anxiety. The web series production was instigated by the suicide of his friend, Aboriginal poet, Alice Eather. The series, which launched during NAIDOC week with the first episode expounding on the loss of Alice Eather, one can see the impact of losing a beloved through suicide. Alice Eather struggled with mental health, yet she spent most of her life, making people feel like they belong. In the episode, a glimpse in Alice Eather's life showcases a happy and free soul, yet behind the smiling face lay silent struggles that led to her death.
The series focused on regional areas where professional services for dealing with mental health are limited, and people are likely to succumb to suicide. Therefore, Devas aimed towards sharing a positive narrat...