Mental-health series looks at how abusive fathers can change with Australian documentary Call Me Dad

    1 of 3 2 of 3

      Often, expressions of anger come from a deeper set of emotions, such as pain or unaddressed needs. Problems arise when that expression is taken out on other people, rather than in constructive ways that can help to get to the bottom of where that anger is coming from.

      The local monthly mental-health film series Frames of Mind will hold a screening and talk tonight (June 21) that addresses abusive men.

      In the 2015 Australian documentary Call Me Dad, director Sophie Wiesner follows, over several months, three men in a Melbourne suburb's behavioural change program for abusive fathers called the Heavy METAL (Men's Education Towards Anger and Life) Group.

      Due to their history of physical, emotional, verbal, and other forms of violence, their marriages are either coming to or are at their end, their role as fathers have disintegrated, and they know they have no choice but to change.

      The group's founder, councillor David Nugent, aims to stop the cycle of violence by teaching the men about how masculinity and sexism can not only hurt women and children but also men, through isolation and restriction. And he also helps them understand how they make choices and can change.

      A discussion after the screening will feature UBC professor Dr. John Oliffe, who founded the UBC Men's Health Research program, with moderation by UBC clinical professor Dr. Harry Karlinsky.

      The screening is at 7:30 p.m. at the Cinematheque (1131 Howe Street). For more information, visit the Cinematheque website.

      The Frames of Mind screenings are held on the third Wednesday of every month. For more information about the series, which is a collaboration between the Cinematheque, the UBC Institute of Mental Health, and the UBC psychiatry department, visit the Frames of Mind website.

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook

      Comments