Kindness of strangers funded movie
When Iain Robertson saw the two-minute version of Bridge, he knew he wanted to take it to a wider audience.
The actor, who directs the film version, said: “It made the hairs on my neck stand up.
“It makes me feel the same way I did when I saw It’s A Wonderful Life. being bipolar for years, and some other celebrities, too,” she said.
“But now I think it’s more of a hindrance, like it’s OK for celebrities, but when anyone else does it, it’s still a problem.
“I want to see things move on from ‘Celeb reveals they’re bipolar’.
“It’s never schizophrenia. Celebrities never have that as it’s not ‘cool’.
“All that does is take time and space away from issues that really have to be addressed, like in the workplace where there are still issues about disclosing mental health problems.
“And the issue around people with these problems having their benefits withdrawn, when the very nature of the problem is that dealing with bureaucracy can be terrifying for someone.”
Donna praises the work of some TV producers in handling mental health storylines but fears some coverage can still be harmful.
She said: “Whenever there’s an economic downturn certain groups are demonised. Whenever anybody is different from whatever the idealised perception of the norm is, they’ll find themselves targeted. We’re seeing that, so we need to be even more vigilant.”
The play’s eventual impact itself bore out the message about hope in adversity, not only for its characters, bit for its writer.
“After the radio thing it really exploded,” said Donna. “People took it to their hearts.”
One such person was Iain Robertson, who played the male lead in a stage production of the play in 2014. The story has such an impact on the River City actor that he set about raising funds to turn it into a film, his first as a director and raised £25,000 on a crowdfunding website.
Later this month the film, Bridge, starring Katy Murphy and Steven Duffy, will be given its World Premiere at the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival.
At just over 10 minutes long, the tale is simply told without relinquishing any of its emotional pull.
Donna said: “When I conceived it, it was just a moment where life and death is at stake. We don’t know the backstory, why they’re there. It’s a little urban moment.”
Bridge is part of a CV including BBC2 drama Takin’ Over The Asylum, with David Tennant, and last year’s BBC Radio Scotland’s Jack’s Birthday, both of which tackled the subject of psychiatric distress.
The writer said: “I just want people to realise how important it is to ask, ‘Are you okay?’. It can really make a difference.”