What’s On [Thornbury]: Mental As Everything at the Thornbury Picture House

Damon Smith

Damon Smith’s new documentary Mental As Everything will have a special screening at the Thornbury Picture House this coming International Mental Health Day on October 10.

Join Mental As Everything filmmaker and singer-songwriter Damon Smith as he shares his personal experience of living with both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar, backed by his anxious accompanist, Adam Coad, in a show that explores the highs and lows of living with a mental illness.MP Fiona Patten (Reason Party) and Bree Chapman-Stewart (Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant for Music Victoria) will also join the Q&A.

Adapted from a highly acclaimed cabaret show of the same name that was performed at festivals and theatres across Australia, Mental As Everything was a finalist in the coveted ‘Outstanding Documentary’ category in the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (2021), received the Audience Award at the 2021 Chicago Filmness Festival and received The Lived Experience Award at Canberra’s This Is My Brave Film Festival in the same year.

MAE was also featured as part of ABC TV’s REFRAME program.

46 year old Damon Smith estimates that he has spent, conservatively, fifty thousand hours of his life (or approximately 5 ó years or 68 ó months), so far, participating in absurd ritualistic behaviours associated with his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. These behaviours include, but are not limited to, excessive counting, tapping things, spinning in circles and making unwanted noises.

With a diagnosis of both OCD and Bipolar Disorder, and with the help of his anxious friend, Adam, these two touring Australian musicians will share, with original music, their sometimes preposterous but always heartfelt humour with outlandish animations (drawn by Declan Tiger), that showcase the intricate and debilitating nature of what it is like to live and talk about mental illness in a world where it’s ok to talk about a broken arm, but still not really ok to talk about a broken mind.’

The film (55 minutes running time) will be followed by a Q&A session with guest speakers MP Fiona Patten from The Reason Party and Bree Chapman-Stewart, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant for Music Victoria, with the audience invited to participate in an open discussion regarding living with mental illness, and keeping good mental health within both the music and wider arts industry.

The Thornbury Picture House
Monday October 10, (International Mental Health Day)
Adult $19.50 – Concession – $15.50 – Senior/child – $12.50
Doors open at 8pm
Details here