The bridge

In class we watched a film/documentary about people commiting suicide on the golden gate bridge in san fransisco. Drector Eric Steel, set up camers on the bridge over a whole year in 2004 to capture footage of the 'jumpers' as they commited suicide on the bridge. Pople have mixed views on Eric Steel and his documentary as he films people commiting suicide but does nothing to stop them. But on the other hand some people believe its not anyones place to decide whether they live or die. Its like documentaries on animals where you see a predator catch its prey, should you stop it? or should you leave it because its only natural?

Eric Steel spoke to family members of the 'jumpers' who explained what they had been going through before they commited suicide. Many of the subjects in the film had been suffering from mental illnesses, like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders.

I found the film really interesting as it gave an in site into what suicidal people are going through and why they choose to take their own life, its also interesting to see how different family memebers and friends deal with whats happened to their loved ones.

In one interview,a mother and sister of a suicide victim are explaining what the victim was going through at the time it happend. You can immediately tell that the mother has much less simpathy for her daughter than the sister does, the way the scene is shot and how the subjects are positioned in it also suggest this. the colours in the background behind the sister are much softer and lighter than the colours behind her mother.