We analize,narrate,raise awareness, prevent and break the silence that surrounds suicide by means of the documentary fomat.
It was not a day like any other. The director of this documentary, Javier Álvarez Solís received a WhatsApp disclosing the news of the death of a close and very cherished person. Since then, he felt the need of knowing what was behind it, what are the reasons that can lead someone to want to end everything. Why it is so dificult to comfort those loved ones that have lost their brother, their son, their spouse, many others… Silence freezes your blood and hardens your features. Why nothing is natural and everything becomes dark and feels so heavy. And the pain of the loss gets mixed with that of surprise.
Years later , the suicidal attempt of a very close relative was the trigger of Javier´s personal search. The beginnings were full of sleepless nights, and days in front of the computer. The Cursed word (La Palabra Maldita) is the result, in documentary format, of Javier´s quest for answers: “We are one person away from the nightmare that it is someone´s suicide”. Those sudden and tragical deaths, always cause astonishment, incredulity and a state of total disorientation.
Talking about suicide helps prevent it.
According to The World Health Organization (WHO) and experts in the health sector, suicides are preventable. Despite of that, every 40 seconds, a person dies somewhere in the world and many more attempt it. Those are 10 deaths a day in Spain, more than twice the traffic accidents, and the first non natural cause of death. Among youth from ages 15 to 29, suicide is the second death cause worldwide.
From 2012 , WHO proposes an innovative, comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, that includes the involvement of the health sector, but also from others such as education, workforce, police, justice, religion, law, politics or media.
Survivors
“The impact of living a death by suicide closely, leaves a scar that stays forever”, says the Dr. Carmen Tejedor on the page of the asociation despresdelsuicidi.org. An average of 6 people from the environment of each person that suicides, suffers lifelong emotional consequences. Silence imposes, and the injustice of not being able to talk about it adds up to the guilt, shame and rage. Now is time to talk about it. In The Cursed Word (La palabra maldita) we join this initiative and we #BreakTheSilence (#RompemosElSilencio) surrounding suicide because not talking about it has not helped prevent deaths. We have to start talking for those that have commited suicide. A lot of survivor associations are already doing it.
Gazing forward
Next September 10th is World´s Suicide Prevention Day. This is a day where compromises and practical measures to prevent this reality are fostered. We also want to remember the people that have left and the survivors. Those who each day climb a mountain, pushing out of their ways the shame and guilt that surrounds each death (*)
The Cursed Word (La palabra maldita), besides the script of this full length documentary, it also gives the opportunity to answer questions that for Javier, have been unanswered for too long; maybe you are asking yourself those same questions right now.
(*) If you have suicidal thoughts or conducts or you know anyone who could have them, please call any of these numbers. Asking for help now is key:
- Asociación Internacional del Teléfono de la Esperanza: 717 003 717 o 91 459 0055
- (Spain) Servicios de Emergencia a través del 112 (SAMUR, SUMMA)
- (Spain) Teléfono de Prevención del Suicidio: 900 925 555