There is a deeply ingrained thread running through Border-based documentary Solstice.
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"It is not simply a collection of sad stories about people who have lost loved ones to suicide," insists director Helen Newman.
"It is a powerful story about Albury, it is a positive story about Albury with a message to empower and encourage change at a local, national and now international level."
At its heart are the voices of people who do not want anyone else to experience the heartbreak they went through, who want to help minimise suffering to other families.
It's the voices of survivors of suicide - the reality of their raw grief and their resilience.
"Again and again these are the voices agitating for change, better resources and better supports for mental health," Newman says.
"That's the spine of this film."
The 45-minute film is to have its first official screening on Saturday, November 23 at Regent Cinemas Albury as part of International Survivors of Suicide Day.
The 4.30pm screening will be followed by a Q&A with former Australian of the Year and mental health campaigner Patrick McGorry and film director Helen Newman, hosted by John Walker.
The event is part of the Border Trust's On The Couch series.
Solstice is a film everyone should take the time to see, according to Newman.
For the past 20 months she has documented the stories of those at the coal-face of a huge battle.
The idea for a documentary came about after Newman was asked to film the 2018 Albury-Wodonga Winter Solstice.
The community event was founded by Stuart and Annette Baker after their 15-year-old daughter Mary died by suicide in March, 2011.
The Bakers are central to the Solstice film, according to Newman.
"But the film is not finished yet and the connections the Bakers have made in this space have transformed the film into a national and even international story," she says.
"When I started this project, I was profoundly aware of the heartbreak and lasting impact of suicide.
"But I don't think I was fully aware of the magnitude of this as an issue and the sheer ratio of those who have been affected by mental ill-health or loss through suicide.
"It touches so many lives."
On Thursday, a draft report released by the Federal Government's Productivity Commission, revealed mental illness cost the country $500 million per day.
It reported that one in two Australians will experience mental illness in their lifetime.
And it released wide-ranging recommendations - an "achievable pathway" - to improving mental health across Australia which encompasses not only the health system but schools, workplaces and justice sectors.
The report, which cited the need for more mental health nurses, peer workers and psychiatrists, more alternatives to emergency services and better follow-up for people who have attempted suicide, also called for greater co-ordination and accountability from the government.
Newman says what emerges through the film is how a lack of resources failed individuals and their families.
"Solstice tells the stories of people who have lost someone to suicide now working in that space advocating for a better way," she says.
"They are striving to start conversations, unite communities and ignite change."
- To book go to the Try Booking link or Facebook event link