Macra focus on rural isolation
MOVIE SCREENING TO HIGHLIGHT ISSUE OF MENTAL HEALTH
A NEW initiative by Mitchelstown Macra is set to highlight the emotive issue of rural isolation and the devastating affect it can have on the mental health of those within the farming community.
Under their ‘Move Night at the Mart’ initiative the group has organised a screening of Gerard Barratt’s stark and evocative film ‘Pilgrim Hill’ at the Corrin Mart Complex next Wednesday evening.
The films stars Cork actor Joe Mullins as Jimmy Walshe, a middle-aged bachelor farmer living in rural Kerry with his critically ill father.
As the film progresses Jimmy is confronted with a set of crisis beyond his control, offering a devastatingly moving portrait of rural life as experienced by many members of the farming community.
Barratt composes a complex, tender portrait of vulnerability helped by Mullins, whose performance offers audiences a stark insight into an inherited sense of isolation, his own failed relationships and the hostile presence of his ailing father.
The movie is being screened in association with the SeeChange mental health awareness alliance and First Fortnight, a charity that challenges mental health prejudices though the creative arts.
The secretary of Mitchelstown Macra, Cathy Lane, said the storyline of Pilgrim Hill tells the “unspoken story” of the lives of so many people living in rural Ireland.
“It highlights a very raw and real perspective of rural isolation and shows the pressures the farmer faces every day in not alone running his farm but also the very real impact of social isolation,” said Ms Lane.
“Movie Night at the Mart is a unique way of reaching out to those who may be suffering in silence or know members within their communities who may be feeling isolated,” she added.
Just this week the president of Macra na Feirme, Sean Finan, slammed acting Health Minister Leo Varadkar after reports emerged that his department and the HSE plan to divert €12 million from the €35 million mental health budget to other health areas.
Mr Finan, who will be one of the guest speakers at next Tuesday night’s event, described the move as “retrograde” and “unacceptable”.
“At the moment, commodity prices are under pressure and this brings added stress and strain, particularly on young farmers, and can contribute to mental health issues. So it’s a worry to us that any funding for mental health should be reallocated,” he said.
He said that as farmers often work alone, they may not see people from one end of the day to the next.
“That puts them in a higher risk category than other professions where people have a lot of contact with other people,” said Mr Finan.
A survey undertaken two years ago revealed that a third of farmers questioned would delay seeking help seeking professional help for fear of others finding out, while 72% said they would not want other people to know if they did have a mental health problem.
Ms Lane said the idea for the movie night was to promote mental health awareness in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
“The club hopes to attract members from all organisations and communities to come together and raise awareness of these issues. One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives so it’s time people get talking, one way or another,” she said.
The screening will take place from 7.15pm and admission +is free.