In the film Man Down, male artists explore mental health.
Men are being encouraged to talk about their mental health in a documentary starring Rag’n’Bone Man and members of Portishead and Idles.
Man Down is a documentary about guys in the music industry who deal with issues like loneliness, depression, and suicide.
“Something needs to change,” said Anthony Mackie, a Bristol-based rapper who attempted suicide.
According to the nonprofit Help Musicians, 70% of musicians suffer from anxiety or depression.
Male musicians, in particular, are at significant risk of developing serious mental health disorders, according to Gemma Jennison, executive producer of the film and founder of the Man Down Programme.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among men under 65, according to official government figures.
The two were members of Central Spillz, a collective that performed at festivals around the country at its peak.
Despite the highs, both artists struggled, as Mr. Mackie revealed in the film Man Down.
“There’s a lot of swagger and masculinity required from MCs and rappers.”
“It kind of goes against it to open up and talk about how you’re feeling,” he said.
“The financial precarity of being a musician or in the music industry in general; if those things come apart, people have to find other ways to make money,” Ms Jennison explained.
She went on to say that there are other variables that have a “cumulative effect” on why men are in the positions they are in presently.
Ms Jennison, a certified mental health nurse based in Bristol, founded the Man Down Programme after witnessing people she cared about struggle with mental illness and hide their emotions.
Men’s experiences captured
“I wanted to see what was going on and why males were having trouble.”
In order to do so, I concluded that the music industry needed to be accountable or have open dialogues about what they did with musicians or any of their employees regarding welfare.”
She explained that the film was created to capture men’s experiences for a new training programme.
Gavin Thorpe, Adam Devonshire of Idles, and Geoff Barrow of Portishead are among the Bristol artists featured in the film, directed by London-based filmmaker Jamie Yuan.
Rag’n’Bone Man, whose 2017 album Human became the fastest-selling male album of the decade, is also featured.
In the documentary, he talks about his tour experience, saying, “A lot of things changed very quickly.”
“It sounds simple; just open up, talk about it, and you’ll be great,” Mr. Mackie added.
It’s not that straightforward, but I can assure everybody who watches the movie that once you breach the seal, everything changes.”
On Thursday, Mr. Mackie and the other Bristol artists included in the documentary will watch the premiere with their closest friends and family.
