Screenings of the powerful Western Australian-made film PIECES kicks off Mental Health Week this year, with the feature film aiming to debunk misconceptions regarding mental illness.
Commissioned by local mental health organisation HelpingMinds, the film explores characters developed from in-depth research of people with lived experience of mental ill-health and their carers.
Directed by Martin Wilson and written by Monique Wilson, PIECES tells the story of an art teacher and her recovery class who are commissioned to make the backdrop for a professional dance performance.
As a documentary film crew record the process, they uncover the incredible personal stories of the students and their battles with mental illness. These experiences not only mould and transform the final performance, but also their lives, and the life of their teacher.
PIECES will be screened in Albany, Busselton, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha and in Perth.
WA Mental Health Week 2022 runs from 8 to 15 October and features a range of events across WA.
As stated by Mental Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
“The State Government is committed to ensuring Western Australians have access to local mental health and alcohol and other drug services to aid their recovery and assist them to live their best lives.
“We have invested a record $1.3 billion in mental health, alcohol and other drug services in the 2022-23 State Budget – an increase of almost 12.5 per cent on the previous year’s Budget.
“With more than one in five Australians experiencing mental ill-health at some point in their lifetime, the screenings of PIECES offer us a talking point to debunk the misconceptions and stereotypes that surround mental illness.”
