A six-part docu-series titled Forget Me Not has been launched, featuring deeply personal stories of six men, aiming to give men a voice, break the silence around mental health, and encourage open and honest conversations.
The series has been produced by Communications Fiji Limited’s Magic Factory, with support from ABC International Development and PACMAS.
It features stories of resilience and hope from Ben Morrison, Jason Adrian, Isaiah Holmes, Joseph Snodgrass, Immanuel Raju and the late Reverend Simione Tugi.
While speaking at the launch at the British Legion Office, CFL’s Digital Video Content Producer, and the director of the series, Immanuel Raju says they had set out to look for stories around mental health but realized that that a lot of them affect men.
He says according to the statistics, men are more likely to commit suicide, but what we do not know is how it affects other families, women and their children.
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Three-time Emmy Award-winning Producer and Content Advisor for PACMAS, Jackie Turnure, who worked alongside Raju, says the best way to encourage men to speak up is to show them that other men are speaking up, which is exactly what they doing here.
Turnure says Raju was initially staying comfortably behind the camera, but he was so inspired by the men’s stories that he decided to share his own, showing the power of storytelling to open up dialogue and facilitate healing.
While also acknowledging the courage and the strength of the participants, she says it is not easy to be on camera at the best of times, but to talk about a personal story that you may never have told before, that your friends and family are going to see, your colleagues at work, takes an incredible amount of strength.
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General Manager for CFL, the parent company of FM96, LegendFM, VITIFM, Navtarang, Radio Sargam, fijivillage and Magic Factory, Charles Taylor says Forget Me Not sparks an essential conversation we have put off for too long about men's silence, the pressures they face and what it really means to be okay.
He says these are not easy stories to tell but they are honest, brave and they matter.
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He adds CFL is essentially a radio station company and to have accomplished something like this makes him very proud of the team.
Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Roberts says inclusive, responsible journalism plays a critical role in shaping healthy societies and Forget Me Not has an important role to play in that.
He adds at a time when there is so much misinformation and noise, supporting genuine storytelling like Forget Me Not is more important than ever.
While congratulating Taylor, fijivillage News Director Vijay Narayan, CFL and Magic Factory, PACMAS Team Leader Rita Narayan says she is hopeful the docu-series will break down barriers and create conversations around the sensitive issue of men’s mental health.
She hopes it will encourage men to take small steps to seek help, while also helping families and friends recognise the signs and understand how they can offer support.
The docu-series is available on our website, fijivillage.
