The Bridge

In the USA today, suicide is far more common than homicide, with someone taking their own life every eighteen minutes, and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge confirmed as the most popular suicide destination in the world. Inspired by an article written by Tad Friend of the New Yorker, entitled 'The Fatal Grandeur of the Golden Gate Bridge', Eric Steel's documentary encapsulates the combination of suffering and the search for release of those desperate enough to find themselves on the precipice of The Bridge in 2004. Exploring at the most personal and revealing levels what drove them to this most final of decisions, The Bridge is certain to reignite the issues of the suicide barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge and to open a much needed debate on mental health care and suicide prevention. Filming 23 of the 24 people who died there in that year, Steel also interviews friends, witnesses and incredibly one man who survived his suicide attempt. Inevitably controversial, it’s also an unflinching and ultimately poignant work.