The S Word

The "S" word is "suicide" in filmmaker Lisa Klein's sensitive documentary. Klein, who lost both her father and brother to suicide, draws intimate confessions out of people who suffer from suicidal depression, as well as individuals who are involved in suicide outreach, prevention, and awareness. Her primary subject, Dese'Rae Stage, is a rock photographer and still-struggling suicide survivor, who embarks on a multimedia gallery project exhibiting portraits of others who have tried to kill themselves. Leah, who is now a psychologist, was the daughter of a schizophrenic mother who was institutionalized and dismissed as a hopeless case as a teenager. Friends and family remember Brandon Toh, a charismatic musician and—sadly ironic—a suicide counselor at a call center, who hanged himself. Military veteran suicides and the lack of suicide-prevention programs for African Americans are also addressed. And a surprise sympathetic cameo comes from conservative media figure Glenn Beck, who spotlights the openly lesbian Stage on his network. Presented in both its full-length version and a one-hour abridged edition, this powerful film about a tragically perennial mental health issue is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)