Letters to
Anxiety

As a kid, William's self-worth was very much defined by his ability to live up to his father's stature as a talented footballer. The internalised pressure to be someone he wasn't continued into adulthood and manifested into demons that saw his whole world fall apart.

After finding solace in writing a series of intimate letters to his anxiety, he made the brave decision to release them publicly as part of an online blog. The response was one he never imagined in his wildest dreams — and completely redefined his own version of masculinity and self-worth.

William's struggle with anxiety and depression is just one story, reflective of so many others. Although there is a lot more awareness and understanding around mental health in Australia, there is still a stigma — especially within football clubs and other masculine environments — that it's weak to speak.

Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men in Australia. The more that we can share openly, the better we can pave the way for others to do the same.

We captured William's journey over a five-year period to document his battle with mental health and reflect on his learnings. The film is underpinned by a series of letters he wrote to his anxiety, and focuses on his struggle growing up in his father's footsteps.

This was encapsulated through a combination of intimate interviews with William, as well as videos he'd filmed privately — detailing some of his lowest lows. We also captured some powerful moments between him and his father, which saw them having some of the most open conversations about mental health they'd ever had.

The themes of masculinity and what it is to be a 'good man' were complemented through the voices of Neil Balme, Mitch Hannan, and William's friends and family. Mental health professional Laura Wynne also weighed in to talk about the psychology behind anxiety and its very primal purpose.

It was important for us to highlight that William was not 'cured' or 'fixed' — but rather, a work in progress. That mental illness is a journey that should be nurtured over a lifetime. The purpose of the film was simply this: that we are not alone on that journey, and there are endless support networks available.

The launch of the film saw three sold-out screenings in Melbourne, collectively raising almost $3,500 in ticket sales — all of which was donated to the Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria.

Letters to Anxiety went on to screen at four film festivals across Australia and abroad, bringing William's story to audiences far beyond Melbourne and continuing to open up conversations about male mental health that so many people needed to hear.