Powerful Bega Valley film about regional youth mental health begins first leg of NSW tour

A powerful new film exploring the mental health issues of regional youth has begun a tour that takes in Cootamundra, Wagga Wagga, Tumut, Jindabyne, Braidwood, Yass, Griffith, Goulburn, Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo.

My Black Dog premiered in Merimbula in February and screened at Narooma on Thursday (27 March).

It has a simple message, told effectively: talk to each other.

Through dance, young Bega Valley artists tell their stories and those of their peers, colleagues, friends, enemies, strangers and loved ones.

The stories include anxiety, self-doubt, domestic violence, negative body image and self-harm.

FLING Physical Theatre is partnering with the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMPH) and the Regional Arts Development Officer network for the tour. The screenings are accompanied by wellbeing workshops being held in collaboration with organisations such as headspace.

My Black Dog is a cinematic remake of Bega youth dance organisation FLING’s award-winning 2019 live work.

It was created by Kate Denborough in 2019 after FLING’s executive director Gabby Rose approached her in 2017 about directing a major new work for FLING that addressed mental health issues relating to regional youth.

The film revolves around a group of Year 10 students.

Many have messy lives, but feel they are alone in that regard. They find it difficult to talk about the issues weighing on them and feel there is no-one they can talk to about what they are experiencing or no-one who will understand what they are thinking and feeling.

One of the reasons My Black Dog is so effective is that it was designed by young people for young people.

That makes it valuable viewing for parents, teachers and others closely involved with adolescents.

Speaking to the audience before the screening at Narooma Kinema, Ms Rose said My Black Dog was a labour of love that was years in the making, partly due to COVID-19.

My Black Dog was shot locally in November 2023, and edited and composed through 2024.

The film features nine artists aged from 15 to 20 from FLING and local professional performers, many from the FLING artistic team.

It has involved regionally based creatives including Beth Lane, who directed the work, lighting designer Gerry Corcoran, cinematographer Andrew Robinson and composer David Hewitt.

Ms Lane said the story found layers of nuance, maturity and impact under Mr Robinson’s talented eye.

“Drew’s commitment to the artists on screen, and respect for the capacity of the moving body to tell stories, is truly outstanding,” she said. “He has created a film about really heavy topics that is subtle, yet unafraid of the hard things.”

The film is well worth seeing, with the movement a catalyst to understanding the key themes portrayed.

Ms Rose said FLING had found that often young people could not articulate what they were feeling, but could express themselves through movement and make new connections with others by doing so.

One adult who watched My Black Dog at the Narooma Kinema said it was “compelling, insightful and moving”.

“It is a magnificent example of how the arts are able to bring storytelling to life in an accessible mode for audiences, with the confronting aspects received deeply but gently,” she said.

“The film’s message is naturally personalised via the non-verbal communication of human movement and associations, making each audience member take the key themes on board as if connected intimately with the story.”

Ms Rose said they saw My Black Dog as a catalyst and hoped it prompted greater conversations and honest feedback about what was happening, and how to better support youth.

My Black Dog will also be screened at Narooma High School, followed by a wellbeing workshop.

After the regional visits are completed, FLING will seek more funding to enable further touring across the state.

More information about My Black Dog, and details of the talented cast and crew behind it, can be found on the website.