Ab Film Review & The Last New Wave

Genevieve Bailey is a documentarian who has drawn attention to the impact of societal struggles with mental illness through her empathetic and nurturing body of work. With feature films like I Am Eleven and Happy Sad Man, Gen embraces a supportive mindset, using the power of cinema to bring real stories to audiences. It's that sense of support that is keenly felt in her latest documentary, Always Listening, a short film about the history of Lifeline Australia. Gen takes us to the end of the telephone where we meet the many counsellors and support people who volunteer their time, emotions, and empathetic listening skills to guide people through mental health crisis events, suicidal ideation, and other critical mental struggles.Like Gen's previous film Happy Sad Man, Always Listening is a beautiful and moving experience, opening audiences up to the power of understanding emotion and empathy, while also guiding people who live with their own mental health struggles to understand that there is help available and