Suicide on the Farm

By Keith Hawke

PledgeMe.Project

Community,

NZ $790 pledged


9 people pledged


Closed


NZ $18,000 minimum target


4 4% Complete

This campaign failed to reach its target by 24/12/2013 at 10:00 AM (NZDT) and is now closed.

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About

Suicide On The Farm

Project 2013-11-20 01:45:11 +1300

The Black Dog.’
Rural Suicide.
  The DVD.
I will produce a DVD that features a series of in-depth interviews with people on farms and in rural communities throughout New Zealand who have had personal experiences with people suffering from depression and those who have contemplated or attempted suicide.

 In New Zealand there is almost twice the number of suicides as road deaths
 and the person most at risk of completing suicide is a middle aged farmer with experience of mental illness.

This situation has to change.

My aim in this production:

  • Help raise mental health awareness among farmers, their family/whanau, their friends and neighbours and the wider rural community; 
  • To stress the importance of seeking professional help. 
  • To reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. 

  • To decrease the high incidence of suicide in our rural community. 
  • Provide information on how to access support services. 

To work and live in rural New Zealand people have to be self reliant, resourceful and practical. They deal with problems by themselves. But it can be a lonely and stressful environment.

Every two weeks in NZ there is a rural suicide.

These people need to know that they are not alone. 


I plan to travel to farms and rural communities throughout New Zealand to record the experiences of people whose lives have been changed by depression or suicide of those close to them. 

 
I have had initial support from farmers organisations, mental health providers and those in touch with the rural communities.

Distribution of the DVD is a significant portion of the budget. 


It is not enough to make the DVD we must get it to the people who need it most. Initially 1,000 DVD’s will be distributed not only to farmers but to those who have continuing contact with the rural community. These will include, bankers, insurance companies, real estate agents, agricultural consultants, resource consent managers and many others.

I produced a similar DVD recently that featured interviews with people recovering from major cardiac operations. It was very well received and has been highly praised.

This is your opportunity to do something good for the community. You, or your organisation, can contribute to the well being and good mental health of a critical part of our community. Every little helps. 

 
Hawkefilms.com

Budget: 20 days filming throughout NZ.

  • Director/cameraman/sound recordist fees 22% 
  • Camera/sound & lighting rental 19% 
  • Travel to rural areas throughout NZ 12% 
  • Accomodation/food/expenses 17% 
  • Design & duplicate 1,000 DVD's 17% 
  • Editing & post production 8% 
  • Pledge Me commission 5-8% 
  • (For a budget comparison. The most recent average NZ On Air grant for documentaries was $134,000 per hour.) 

The team.
Keith Hawke. I am an experienced film producer with credits in documentary, corporate and TV series. This project appeals to me because it is such a taboo subject. The mainstream media avoid talking about suicide. It is the elephant in the room. We need to start the conversation. Recently I read the statistics of suicide deaths as compared to deaths on our roads and I was appalled. I believe that most people have no inkling of the number of people who take their lives in this country. I live in a rural community and have been hearing snippets of conversations for some time of people who have attempted or been successful at committing suicide. It has increasingly bothered me that suicide in general is such a taboo subject and is rarely spoken of in public.

Unless we can talk about and listen to people who have personal experience of depression and the cliff edge of suicide then we are not confronting the problem and we cannot hope to get the professional assistance to the people who most need it.

It is a difficult and sensitive subject and we will talk with people whose experiences are painful and raw.



If you want to know more about me then go to: Hawkefilms.com



Comments

Updates

Hey! Thanks for checking out this project.

We haven't made any updates yet, follow us if you want to be notified when we do.

Pledgers 9

Justin Tully
18/12/2013 at 11:21am
Simon Jones
03/12/2013 at 8:49am
Kath Bell
01/12/2013 at 10:25am
David Hector
29/11/2013 at 10:06am
S Ruffell
28/11/2013 at 4:14pm
Sue Taplin
26/11/2013 at 12:06pm
Barbara Stuart
26/11/2013 at 9:32am
Anonymous pledger
26/11/2013 at 8:03am
Kate Whalan
23/11/2013 at 10:42am

Followers

Followers of Suicide on the Farm

Suicide On The Farm

Project 2013-11-20 01:45:11 +1300

The Black Dog.’
Rural Suicide.
  The DVD.
I will produce a DVD that features a series of in-depth interviews with people on farms and in rural communities throughout New Zealand who have had personal experiences with people suffering from depression and those who have contemplated or attempted suicide.

 In New Zealand there is almost twice the number of suicides as road deaths
 and the person most at risk of completing suicide is a middle aged farmer with experience of mental illness.

This situation has to change.

My aim in this production:

  • Help raise mental health awareness among farmers, their family/whanau, their friends and neighbours and the wider rural community; 
  • To stress the importance of seeking professional help. 
  • To reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. 

  • To decrease the high incidence of suicide in our rural community. 
  • Provide information on how to access support services. 

To work and live in rural New Zealand people have to be self reliant, resourceful and practical. They deal with problems by themselves. But it can be a lonely and stressful environment.

Every two weeks in NZ there is a rural suicide.

These people need to know that they are not alone. 


I plan to travel to farms and rural communities throughout New Zealand to record the experiences of people whose lives have been changed by depression or suicide of those close to them. 

 
I have had initial support from farmers organisations, mental health providers and those in touch with the rural communities.

Distribution of the DVD is a significant portion of the budget. 


It is not enough to make the DVD we must get it to the people who need it most. Initially 1,000 DVD’s will be distributed not only to farmers but to those who have continuing contact with the rural community. These will include, bankers, insurance companies, real estate agents, agricultural consultants, resource consent managers and many others.

I produced a similar DVD recently that featured interviews with people recovering from major cardiac operations. It was very well received and has been highly praised.

This is your opportunity to do something good for the community. You, or your organisation, can contribute to the well being and good mental health of a critical part of our community. Every little helps. 

 
Hawkefilms.com

Budget: 20 days filming throughout NZ.

  • Director/cameraman/sound recordist fees 22% 
  • Camera/sound & lighting rental 19% 
  • Travel to rural areas throughout NZ 12% 
  • Accomodation/food/expenses 17% 
  • Design & duplicate 1,000 DVD's 17% 
  • Editing & post production 8% 
  • Pledge Me commission 5-8% 
  • (For a budget comparison. The most recent average NZ On Air grant for documentaries was $134,000 per hour.) 

The team.
Keith Hawke. I am an experienced film producer with credits in documentary, corporate and TV series. This project appeals to me because it is such a taboo subject. The mainstream media avoid talking about suicide. It is the elephant in the room. We need to start the conversation. Recently I read the statistics of suicide deaths as compared to deaths on our roads and I was appalled. I believe that most people have no inkling of the number of people who take their lives in this country. I live in a rural community and have been hearing snippets of conversations for some time of people who have attempted or been successful at committing suicide. It has increasingly bothered me that suicide in general is such a taboo subject and is rarely spoken of in public.

Unless we can talk about and listen to people who have personal experience of depression and the cliff edge of suicide then we are not confronting the problem and we cannot hope to get the professional assistance to the people who most need it.

It is a difficult and sensitive subject and we will talk with people whose experiences are painful and raw.



If you want to know more about me then go to: Hawkefilms.com



Comments

Hey! Thanks for checking out this project.

We haven't made any updates yet, follow us if you want to be notified when we do.

Justin Tully
18/12/2013 at 11:21am
Simon Jones
03/12/2013 at 8:49am
Kath Bell
01/12/2013 at 10:25am
David Hector
29/11/2013 at 10:06am
S Ruffell
28/11/2013 at 4:14pm
Sue Taplin
26/11/2013 at 12:06pm
Barbara Stuart
26/11/2013 at 9:32am
Anonymous pledger
26/11/2013 at 8:03am
Kate Whalan
23/11/2013 at 10:42am

Followers of Suicide on the Farm

This campaign was unsuccessful and finished on 18/12/2013 at 11:21 AM.