Girl on the Bridge - NZIFF2020

The Girl On The Bridge is a feature documentary directed by award winning New Zealand filmmaker Leanne Pooley. It is a glimpse into a world few of us comprehend and a response to our collective anguish about the suicide crisis in our communities and our desire to “do something”.

Twenty-two year old Jazz Thornton survived multiple suicide attempts and is now taking on a system she believes is failing her generation. After founding her own charity to support young people struggling as she once did, she’s put herself through film school to learn the skills she needs to communicate. She tells stories about survivors who have been through hell and made it back. But not everyone makes it and although Jazz has survived she’s lost a lot of friends, including sixteen-year-old Jess. Jess’s death was painful and potentially catastrophic for Jazz and in The Girl On The Bridge she navigates the same feelings of guilt and grief that anyone touched by suicide endures. A special Q and A by director Leanne Pooley in attendance will follow after the screening at the Lumiere.