Quick Chat with April John-Lewis on Mental Health Film M.A.E
April John-Lewis Director ‘s new short film M.A.E, is an important story which is based upon her own experiences and struggles with mental health. The new director who is also a professionally trained actor and content creator had a quick chat with ALT’s Publisher and Founder Joy about the new film which she directed and co-stars in with Yvonne Jeffreys. She states on working together “after a few conversations we decided to merge our talents and created Spice and Soul Productions”.
ALT: Did you learn from directing this short and being in it?
I learned that it’s not an easy job! lol I have a new level of respect for filmmakers, producers and directors, being an actress, I have only ever learned my parts of the scripts and only needed to focus on my lines and facial expressions but when you become the person responsible for the outcome of the final production, you develop a profound appreciation for the art.
ALT: Tell why you chose to tackle mental health?
I chose mental health because I have struggled with my mental health for a large portion of my life, I was diagnosed with BPD (bipolar, borderline personality disorder) I based the film around some of the episodes I faced and my personal perception of visualizing what I went through in order to make it understandable to someone who has never experienced mental health or to show someone who is suffering in silence that they are not alone!
ALT: Who is the main character what is her motivation?
I am the main character, and I am motivated by the need to share my story, I feel that too many times when I tried to explain what was going on in my head, I was often accused of exaggerating, or being told that cannot be possible, some simply didn’t understand, so I wanted to help people understand through the visual channel, I feel like visual explanations are easier to comprehend.
ALT: You worked with Yvonne how did that transpire?
So, I met Yvonne on the set of a film we were both featured in, a couple of years ago, we got to talking during the lunch break, when we wrapped, I asked her which way she was going and offered her a lift, so we could speak a little more, it turned out she was a good script writer who wanted to bring some of the to life. I am more the editing and camera side, so after a few conversations we decided to merge our talents and created Spice and Soul Productions.
ALT: What do you want audiences to take away?
I would like the audience to be able to understand that mental health doesn’t have to be a taboo subject. There is always somewhere or someone to turn to, speaking about your feelings is not weakness, its actually strength! I would love to think that if I can help just one person reach out for help because of my story, then I have done a positive thing, showing how far I have come, will hopefully inspire people.
ALT: Are we getting better when talking about
Hopefully we will all get better at speaking venerably about mental health, wouldn’t it be great if we could change the narratives and start healing?
