Updated August 4, 2009

A Reason to Live

(2009) 2 discs. 52 min. DVD: $79: public libraries; $99: high schools; $199: colleges & universities.

Media Projects (tel: 214-826-3863, web: www.mediaprojects.org). PPR.

A powerful documentary about depression and suicide in teens and young adults, filmmakers Allen Mondell and Cynthia Salzman Mondell’s A Reason to Live interviews several young people who have struggled with suicidal impulses, and talks to some parents.

Suicide survivors speak out about what it’s like to grapple with depression on a daily basis, while parents warn about the importance of intervention while kids are still giving verbal cues that they need help (very often, young people who finally decide to commit suicide will seem outwardly happy and silently content).

A Reason to Live also features a couple of mock calls to a suicide prevention hotline that provide insights into the careful handling of someone who is desperately seeking a reason not to die, as well as advice on steering a suicidal teen or young adult toward help, and various skills for coping with depression.

DVD extras include support materials (such as hotline phone numbers and other information) and a resource/discussion guide. Featuring both the full-length 52-minute version and an edited 32-minute version suitable for classroom use, this is a valuable resource for members of the target audience (ages 15-24) who are suffering from depression, as well as professionals in various occupations who work with young people. Highly recommended.

Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)