Rapper Professor Green’s documentary about mental health and suicide is by no means a “scientific” exploration of the epidemic of male suicide in Britain, but it is certainly touching. The documentary follows Stephen Manderson’s (Professor Green’s) journey to discover why his father, with whom he had lost touch committed suicide and perhaps shed light on the overarching problem of male suicide in Britain today.
Going into the documentary, I was a little sceptical that the focus on the problem of male suicide might totally overshadow mental health issues in both genders. However, the effectiveness of the documentary stems from its ability to present cultural stereotypes of masculinity and interrogate them. In the documentary a number of experts assert that it is males’ propensity towards “masculinity” and, by enlarge, not talking about their emotions that often leads to issues later down the line. We also learn of the systemic issues that suicide causes in families and the ways in which mental health issues are genetically linked. This notion makes the documentary even more effective, as Manderson worries about the possibility of his future children being born into a family that is proliferated with mental health issues and encourages viewers to speak out when they have dark feelings.
Though I am not a fan of Professor Green’s music, I think he made an interesting point of referencing his experiences with mental health and the creative process. These reference points reminded of a film that negotiates the link between mental health and creativity with fantastic ease: 2014’s Frank. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, Frank deals with a mysterious masked singer who creates eclectic, yet beautiful music. Throughout the film, we are given mixed messages as to whether the music that Frank creates is a result of his mental health issues or whether it is to do with ‘raw talent’. The film’s focus both the romanticization of mental health, in its ability to create wonderful art, and the debilitating effects of problems also allows for the film to take a more nuanced position. This position is similar to the way in which Professor Green: Suicide and Me negotiates these issues. Both condemning his father’s actions and realising the pain he was going through, Manderson reveals that these problems are neither black nor white. It is a problem that needs discussion and negotiation in a fruitful way.
