Suaraminda - National Coalition for Mental WellBeing

SUARA MINDA

“People living with mental illness do not want to end our lives, we just want to end our pain.” - FAFA

SUARA MINDA is an awareness campaign to destigmatise mental illness discourse in Malaysia, centred around the animated documentary, Fafa Perjuangan yang tak Didendang.

Produced by Freedom Film Network and directed by Malaysian filmmaker Amirul Ramthan, this 20-minute documentary serves as the educational tool for Suara Minda.

Paired with a toolkit on top of other relevant resources, the goal of this campaign is to both further the discourse surrounding mental illness as well as reduce the stigma attached to it.

“Fafa is just one representation of many other individuals who are dealing with mental health challenges.”

- AMIRUL RAMTHAN

To support this campaign, you can take action by

Hosting a screening of the documentary

Email US

Utilising the provided film toolkit and/or other relevant materials for your advocacy

Download Toolkit

Testimonials

An excellent film that creatively visualises Fafa's experience of living with schizophrenia in a way that encourages those who don't know about it to empathise with and root for her. The artwork and sound effects are key in allowing the audience to briefly come close to experiencing what Fafa does in an impactful way, a classic example of showing rather than telling.

It was very courageous of Fafa to share her struggles living with schizophrenia. I find this film a useful and relevant teaching tool for my undergraduate Abnormal Psychology course. Her story helps my students understand this psychological disorder in a Malaysian context that is currently still rare as not many Malaysians are willing to share their mental health struggles. I have great hopes that Fafa's story and courage will inspire more to come forward to share their stories and shine a light not only to those who might be struggling alone but also to everyone else who wishes to lend a supporting arm / helping hand

"This documentary provided a deep insight into the life of a young girl with specialties and I was struck by her struggles and the love of her family. Through the girl's daily life and communication difficulties, I gained a deeper understanding of the lives of people with disabilities and empathy for the changes she is seeking to make to modern society. It was a powerful piece of storytelling that used animation to evoke thought and emotion in the audience."

Yuki Murata,
Student of Monash University (Documentary Filmmaking and Society Unit)

“60% of the audience who watch our documentary think that the portrayal of schizophrenia in mainstream media is primarily negative”

The Main Profile

Fafa is a young woman who found her passion in art illustration. Now in her 30s, Fafa has been living with schizophrenia for nearly 3 decades.

Fafa not only had to deal with strange voices in her head, but also voices of the people around her who did not understand her condition.

This consciousness has made Fafa want to voice out more strongly about her situation as well as raise awareness about mental disability in Malaysia .

THE DIRECTOR

The primary message of this documentary is to highlight mental health which is not voiced enough. Fafa is just one character of a story that is rarely told.

Fafa and I had known each other for a very long time. From the outside, she looks [healthy and] fine, with the way she works and talks with other people. Little does one know that she is dealing with mental health conditions.

There are thousands of other people who may have schizophrenia or bipolar, ADHD, depression, trauma and so on, but they have to hide and pretend they are okay because they are afraid of the stigma. They are afraid of being labelled all kinds of things.

So, the purpose of this documentary is to not only focus on Fafa’s story, but to give importance to mental health stories in general. Fafa is just one representation of many other individuals who are dealing with mental health challenges.

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Kajang | Broadcasting Faculty
MOUTOU KL, Kuala Lumpur | Gentle Mental, International Day of Happiness Mini Fest | General public
Monash University, Subang Jaya | Psychology Department
Mari Tingu Wayang, Kota Kinabalu | General public
University of Science Malaysia, Penang (USM) | Psychology Course (Minor)
Murasa Kopi & Buku, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan | Diskopi +- | General public
Monash University, Subang Jaya | Art & Social Sciences | Filem, television and screen studies

NATIONAL COALITION FOR MENTAL WELLBEING

SUARA MINDA

“People living with mental illness do not want to end our lives, we just want to end our pain.” - FAFA

“Fafa is just one representation of many other individuals who are dealing with mental health challenges.”

- AMIRUL RAMTHAN

To support this campaign, you can take action by

Hosting a screening of the documentary

Utilising the provided film toolkit and/or other relevant materials for your advocacy

Testimonials

“60% of the audience who watch our documentary think that the portrayal of schizophrenia in mainstream media is primarily negative”

The Main Profile

THE DIRECTOR

Past Film Screenings

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