Remember the adage – Boys don’t cry! Well, they do.

Perhaps, these hidden and shushed, secretly wiped away tears make our male counterparts more prone to suicide. Six out of 10 suicides are men. Too many are struggling alone. Way too many are toughening it up and feeling lonely.

The timely release of Hussain Manawer’s powerfully poetic short film – ‘Lonely’ is aimed to normalise the stigma around. It encourages men to ask for help to overcome loneliness.

 

This is Hussain’s first release of 2021 and comes following the release of ‘Reflections’ – an emotive poem on Archwell Audio for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

With Covid and the economic crisis looming large, each person is suffering like an island, plunged in his own guilt of ‘imposter syndrome’. To combat this feeling of ‘Why me’, the film conveys an overarching message to reach out to friends, family or trusted people.

Hussain commented, “At times people may think that they are the only person experiencing an issue. When really there are hundreds, even thousands of people experiencing exactly the same thing. But we get so caught up in our lives, that we forget to check up on each other.”

The stigma with mental health reaches a particular new dimension in Asian Communities where gender bias is particularly prominent. However, the film shines a light on men from all ethnic backgrounds, with all three protagonists being male and between the ages of 25-40 years old.

The Film is Directed By Stanley Morgan and includes actors Gilbert Kyem Jnr & James Harkness from One Five Five Productions, executive producer Zyna Goldy.

Hussain also mentions, “Over 75% of suicides are carried out by men, therefore addressing the topic from a male perspective will hopefully open up important conversations.  Speaking about feelings of loneliness, the film focusses on starting the conversation on mental health issues with family, friends or trusted people.”

This famous British poet, writer and actor from Ilford, Essex, has set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Mental Health Lesson in partnership with Kings College London and Hackney Empire, in 2017.