In today’s fast-paced world, mental health issues are often misunderstood and stigmatised, lost amid digital distractions, work pressures, and daily demands. Heartwarming documentaries provide a powerful way to raise awareness, offer emotional release, and highlight the complexities of mental health. The British Council’s digital library serves a diverse audience, from working professionals and students to digital nomads and scholars. With 8000 feature films, short films, documentaries and docuseries available, digital nomads can explore and gain knowledge from this massive collection.
Here’s a curated selection of five thought-provoking docuseries to foster conversations around mental health:
Hiding in Plain Sight
The two-part, four-hour docuseries offers a powerful exploration of mental health crises through the eyes of 20 young people. By sharing their experiences, the interviewees bravely put forth the challenges, stigma and the fear they faced in seeking treatment. The series fosters deep understanding and compassion in the hearts of the viewers towards the patients.
Nurse
A bittersweet comedy drama starring Esther Coles, in the lead role of Liz, a mental health nurse. The docuseries follows her as she visits her patient at home, offering a compassionate glimpse into the lives of those played down by the society. Despite the heavy subject matter, Nurse finds humour and hope in challenging situations.
Mysteries of Mental Illness
The docuseries explores the story of mental illness in science and society. This four-part series delves into historical breakthroughs, contemporary perspectives, and personal stories. It explores dramatic attempts across generations to unravel the mysteries of mental illness. By focusing its gaze on the transformative work of therapists and individuals of colour, it calls for a redressal of the ways in which we define psychiatric illness and health. The series discusses what a more responsive mental health care system should look like.
Alma’s Not Normal
Alma’s Not Normal, created by Sophie Willan, is a candid and heartfelt comedy based on her own experiences. The protagonist, Alma, a working-class woman hails from a small town with big dreams. After a chaotic childhood and a breakup, Alma decides to face the world with all the strength and make her life sorted to not just survive but thrive. While the docuseries offers a biting yet humorous take on class, sexuality, motherhood, abuse, and mental health, it also celebrates women who have fought through such odds and pursued their dreams.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Daily Life
This compelling docuseries of thought-provoking 24 episodes takes the audience on a journey of building a toolkit of CBT. In the series, Professor Jason Satterfield guides and empowers the audience to effectively apply the tools and lead a life of tranquillity and power. The series invokes a powerful sense of the belief that a balanced alteration of a healthy mind and body can give birth to a beautiful yet charismatic life.
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email: digitallibrary@britishcouncil.org