Picture : Actor Zen McGrath Q&A at Brussels Impact Screening, 9 February 2023
Through a dramatic narrative, The Son examines implicitly the difficulty that parents have understanding and finding solutions for their children’s mental health.
Think-Film’s impact mission was to amplify Director-Writer Florian Zeller’s message and call for greater youth mental health support, while demonstrating film and culture’s pivotal contribution to good mental health practices and igniting honest conversations around mental health amongst peers, friends and family.
- High-level avant-premiere screening in Brussels, which included a virtual live Q&A with actor Zen McGrath, brought together 300+ key stakeholders across the EU mental health policy arena, putting a spotlight on the world’s youth mental health crisis and positioning The Son as the driver towards an EU Action Plan on Mental Health and improving accessibility to Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programmes.
- Social media reaching 150k+ and a call on audiences to contribute to a European Commission public consultation gave film audiences meaningful voice in how Europe will work to protect the mental health of all its young people. and encouraged more conversations within families about mental health.
- 3 x Members of the European Parliament, all Co-Chairs of the Coalition for Mental Health and Wellbeing and from different political parties, united behind the film to champion the integration of Social and Emotional Learning programmes in school curricula.
- Exclusive VIP screening and reception in London with film introductions by Hugh Jackman and Florian Zeller, inspired MP Dean Russell, Co-chair of the APPG on Mental Health, to use his Parliamentary influence to advance support for youth mental health first aid.
Engaging issue experts shifted wholescale the audience narrative around The Son : in contrast to film critic reviews, mental health advocates repeatedly expressed how moving and thought-provoking they found the film, and that it accurately portrays and reflects lived experiences of mental health, including the uncertainty and confusion that often surrounds these.
