Discovering The Shift’s Mental Health Panel with Pride
Let’s be unapologetically real, life is hard. Additionally, while experiencing life, we have these entities within us, called emotions. Our emotions are simultaneously connected to our mental health, which is directed by those aforementioned life experiences. Throughout your life, your mental health can sway to the left, sway to the right, or just maneuver like your favorite rollercoaster ride. It is our own responsibility, as adults, to be able to address when there are mental health concerns or seek guidance and assistance when our mental health experiences “those days.”
Face it, mental health is extremely important, and not just for the sake of saying it is important, but for the sake of humanity and understanding the human experience. There are a span of cultures and communities — mine as well — where mental health conversations are considered taboo or unspoken about and not acknowledged.
In my childhood, being able to open up and freely talk about my mental health, especially within my immediate family, was really difficult. Regardless of the past, the bright, versatile, and experience-driven person that I have grown into today places mental health and self-care at the forefront of my decision-making and thought-processing.
Recently, I had the opportunity and pleasure of being able to connect two communities, the mental health community and the LGBTQIA+ community. For the month of June, known as Pride Month, The Shift hosted an online panel focused on promoting mental health within LGBTQIA+ films called Reel Pride: Promoting Mental Health in LGBTQIA+ Narratives.
To me, Pride Month has always been so bright and colorful, and centered around the freedom to love who you truly and rightfully desire to love. I feel that this panel gave breath to an everlasting moment to see what is under all those colors and brightness.
Founded in 2018, The Shift is a media production company focused on “shifting” stigmas, narratives, and ideals around mental health. They produce mental health-themed content and events and collaborate with organizations, brands, filmmakers and creators to foster authentic mental health storytelling.
The Shift’s June online event was moderated by Andy Lalwani, who covers some of the biggest daily stories online as an entertainment-focused red-carpet host and reporter, and is a long-time “shifter” or conversation starter for The Shift. The panel originally took place on Thursday, June 27th, 2024, from 5 to 6 p.m. PST (8 to 9 p.m. EST). This event was the second in The Shift’s Mental Health Movies in the Making series. The panel included filmmakers Anthony Meindl, Quentin Lee, and Xavier Rombaut. Each of the panelists got a chance to showcase their work and was encouraged to share their perspectives and ideas around mental health and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Anthony Meindl is a writer, director, and has been an acting teacher for 30 years. He recently finished shooting Memento Mori, a movie about six different love stories that take place in international settings including Taiwan, India, South Africa, and other international locations around the world that are also affected by the climate crisis. Meindl mentioned that he is a queer filmmaker and queer person, and he also revealed that a large amount of his work is queer-centered, socially conscious, and incorporates international storytelling. Personally, I love being able to fully live in your truth and to be able to make art about it. It connects art and reality, allowing this art to become reality… I love the art of love, being in love, and the ideas surrounded by love, so Memento Mori is something I would add to my “must-watch” list.
Quentin Lee is a filmmaker, producer, director, and writer. The man with many hats, attended the University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television in 1993. As a filmmaker for 30 years, Lee has produced four television series and nine features. The film he mentioned on the panel was titled ‘White Frog,’ which is a story about a child who has Asperger’s Syndrome who is dealing with the death of his older brother and finding his own voice. And while he is dealing with and coming to terms with his brother’s sudden passing, he uncovers that his brother is gay. Lee described it as a coming-of-age, queer, and on-the-spectrum movie, and I think I would enjoy watching it. From the clip or trailer that was played, I noticed two of the main actors from previous films, so that could also pull me into watching it.
Xavier Rombaut is the founder and producer of Polar Bear. Polar Bear is Rombaut’s production company, which he started in 2018. He has over 20 years of experience and has been producing for other companies since 2006. His recent film Young Hearts is about a young man, Elias, who is enjoying his life with his friends and girlfriend, and lives in a small town, in Belgium. But then Elias soon has a new neighbor, Alexander, move in, and he begins to gain feelings for him. Rombaut said that with the help of Elias’ family and people around him, he is able to be honest with himself and express his feelings. This movie is interesting to me because it seems that it will capture young-queer love in its premature state and the importance of community.
By the end of the hour panel, I was left thinking about six different topics.
These topics both confirmed and deepened my appreciation for each community and highlighted what is clear and what still needs attention.
1. Understanding and wanting to see authentic characters in film
When we, as consumers, watch something, whether it be a short story, film, series, or movie, we want to see authenticity and realism in what we are absorbing.
Connecting with what we are consuming is important for both entertainment and personal growth. We should avoid negative, inaccurate, or falsified descriptions of the world. In turn, we should value realistic ideas, settings, and relatable characters in our media consumption.
2. Thinking about varying perspectives on mental health
Mental health can be a very broad and complex topic at times, but in order to have conversations about it, those engaging in them must be open and honest. The panel allowed each of the filmmakers to share and exchange opinions and ideas around the topic.
Furthermore, to be productive and have meaningful conversations about it, mental health needs to be viewed with intentionality and openness. Meaningless conversations about mental health are counterproductive and do not allow any of the conversation’s partakers to advance.
3. The importance and relevance of these types of conversations
Events and showcases like these are vastly important in nature because of the openness and conversations they breed. The LGBTQIA+ community and the mental health community both have experiences and stories that should be clearly understood and heard.
These conversations spark storytelling, which allows people to reflect on their similarities with one another, and not their differences. In exchange, those similarities make communities stronger and healthier.
4. Mental health can evolve within the film and entertainment industry
Mental health is an ever-evolving journey that takes active consideration, time, and intentionality. Mental health is not a one-way street. There are numerous avenues and directions you have to take, but only you know how you feel about where you are and how fast you wish to travel.
Film and entertainment writers, producers, and creators should aim to focus on being able to fluidly and authentically showcase mental health and its complexities without dramatizing or exaggerating aspects for monetary gain.
Think about how mental health is addressed in pieces that you have seen in the past and today. I can say that while growing up, there has been a change in the media’s portrayal of mental health. You can see how some production companies have behind the scenes clips; they take the time to have mental health support sessions and give the actors and creators room to express how they feel.
5. How LGBTQIA+ Pride looks today versus in the past
When Quentin Lee first mentioned the difference between when he first went to Pride events and Pride events today, it immediately caught my attention. Anthony Meindl also added how Pride events, advertisements, and campaigns have changed throughout the years, including his first Pride event.
As someone who has never been to Pride, or a Pride-themed event at all, hearing their commentary on it, it struck me. I had never thought about it in the ways they mentioned.
Especially knowing the history behind the advocacy and freedom for LGBTQIA+ individuals and how commercialized and marketing-forward companies become during the month of June, I never took the step back to notice the huge change. While growing up, I cannot say that I recalled seeing so many companies and influencer partnerships that were catered to the sharing of queer backgrounds and stories. Being able to see it today is great, however, are they doing it for connection and inclusivity or for monetary gain?
Of course, there are companies that have always advocated and supported Pride and its movement, but on the other end, there are still those who are against it, homophobic, and unaccepting of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
This all impacts people in the LGBTQIA+ community in different ways.
Several members of the LGBTQIA+ community face challenges regarding their mental health. We must work toward being headstrong when we have to manage the harsh moments in life. Specifically, the mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth should be addressed, and I believe panels like this represent the start of great productivity and meaningful progress. Every day is a new opportunity to share and support one another on our journeys. By advocating for open dialogue and resources for members of both communities, the necessary awareness is promoted.
6. Mental health takes time to manage, no matter who you are
Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community already adds another layer to what we experience, but at the end of the day, gay, straight, queer, ally or not, we are still humans. Mental health is core to the shared human condition. We are not who we date or who we fall in love with, we are who we make ourselves to be after we are faced with difficult experiences.
With our mental health, we have to be open to the idea of processing, taking our time, and dealing with our experiences one step at a time. We also need to incorporate pacing ourselves and must be honest with ourselves and one another — with those who we care about and need to know — about our mental health situations.
Remember, mental health is not a one-and-done. It takes the same time and dedication that you would put into anything else that matters to you. Picture this, you are a child practicing playing your favorite sport. Say soccer. Now you have to continue to practice and work on your own and with your team in order to get better. In order for the player to one day become the master, they need to commit themselves to their craft. They need to put the time in, be patient, and be aware.
When I mention master, I do not necessarily mean, finally working on everything that is within you, as if nothing will come up again. It is life, so eventually, something new will come up. But mastering your mental health means knowing how to maneuver through what is taking place with tools and support, and knowing there are options. Give yourself grace and be compassionate with yourself while you are on your journey.
To listen to the insights from these filmmakers and watch the replay on your own, click here.
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About Jared:
Jared Melhado is a dedicated public relations strategist and writer with a strong focus on communications, fashion, mental health, culture, self-care, and inclusivity. He holds a B.S. in Public Relations and is a proud graduate of HBCU, Florida A&M University. Melhado is open to learning and writing about a variety of topics, and enjoys jogging and reviewing astrology in his free time. Visit Melhado’s website at https://www.astoldbyjared.net to read more about and from him.
