I have just received an email from Gloria, the lady who is helping us find our contributors from Bipolar UK, and I am extremely overwhelmed. In one week we have received over a 100 responses to our advert from people who want to share their experiences in our film. Their stories are incredible, we have had NHS workers, artists, teachers, musicians, barristers, actors, film directors, west end writers and managing directors all wanting to help tell the real stories about bipolar rather than celebrities.
They are all unique, which highlights my main message that this illness can affect everyone and anyone. They all repeat that this disorder needs to be shared from the heart, and to explain to people they are not crazy, they are intelligent and creative, but troubled.
I have been sent the emails of all of them, but at this stage I don’t want to share them as this is very personal and private to them. I feel it would be wrong to publish them without their consent, and only those who feature in the film will be used.
It was extremely difficult to whittle down, but I have selected twenty that show a diverse cross section, and for practical reasons live within an achievable distance to maidstone. Gloria will contact them on my behalf to check a few details and then if they agree she will pass the email addresses on to me.
Normally as a documentary filmmaker I would be sourcing the contributors from scratch myself, but because this is such a sensitive issue, all parties have agreed that for the safety of the sufferers, I only receive their contact details once their situation has been thoroughly assessed by bipolar UK, their mental health is paramount.
These are the details I have asked Gloria to pass on to them:- Are they happy to appear on film?
What is their availability this month and beginning of October? Maybe start to get days they can do and hours they are able to be contacted. An email address, first name, location and telephone number would be great.
We will likely chat through email first, then record an interview over the phone and finally meet them to film in person. If they are ok with this, could they let us know if they are happy for us to film in their homes, and/or do they have any favourite outside locations, parks etc or comfortable places of work we can film?
We understand this is an extremely sensitive subject and their health is paramount, if any of this becomes to overwhelming we can stop at anytime and they are under no obligation to continue.
Do they have any concerns?
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