CHRISTIAN

I am looking for men who have tried to commit suicide and survived. I want to photograph male suicide survivors representing the whole Nordic Region. They will tell their stories in a monologue format, in front of a videocamera. Their talk will be a solo act that allows them to express their thoughts, ideas and emotions freely, without interruption.

The men will hear about the project through mental health organizations and institutions and groups dealing with mens health issues. Due to the sensitivity of this topic it is highly important that each participant has a healthy distance to what once happened. He must be in a much better place today.

According to the World Health Organization, there is a higher number of male suicides worldwide compared to females. This disparity can be attributed to a reluctance to seek help due to societal expectations, stigma, cultural norms, limited support networks for men and other issues. It is crucial to recognize that discussing male suicide does not undermine the importance of female suicide or the challenges faced by women.

The goal of this project is to find twenty men from the Nordic Region. Their stories and experiences will be shared in exhibitions in the Nordic countries. During these exhibitions researchers, psychiatrists and other experts will be invited for publicly open discussions about mental health and suicide.

The ultimate goal of this project is to prevent suicides by showing depressed and suicidal people that they are not alone with their thoughts and that there is life after a failed suicide attempt. This work is a dedication to all the suicide survivors who bravely share their stories.