Review: Wakefield, ABC TV
From the comedy-drama of Josh Thomas’ Please Like Me, to the documentary series Changing Minds filmed inside a psychiatric hospital, the ABC has a track record of collaborating with mental health organisations and people with lived experience to create compelling, compassionate stories about mental health.
Created by Kristen Dunphy and inspired by her own experiences as a patient, new series Wakefield is a fictional drama mystery set in a psychiatric hospital in the Blue Mountains.
Wakefield presents a nuanced, multi-layered story about mental health through its ensemble cast. This eight-part series demonstrates the advantages of television’s long-form narrative over feature film. It provides greater scope to explore a range of mental health stories without resorting to caricatures and stereotypes.
The Tailings
For your consideration this Easter weekend…. in no particular order are a few recommendations (most of which I’ve seen).
I’ve stuck to scripted titles here. Most of the Foxtel titles are available on Binge, and vice versa.
Enjoy!
The TailingsSBS on Demand 6 x 10 mins (from April 2)
The Tailings follows the events that take place after the death of teenage Jas’s father. The tight-knit community are quick to deem the death as an accident, spiralling Jas to undertake her own investigation. This coincides with the arrival of her new schoolteacher Ruby, who comes carrying the burden of her own past trauma. The two slowly develop a mutual trust and as secrets are exposed, the truth becomes impossible to ignore. The poignant performances by emerging stars Tegan Stimson (Jas) and Mabel Li (Ruby) are an intimate portrayal of the human experience with grief, guilt and loss from the diverse perspective of those living on the margins both socially and geographically. Th