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The Cure - A Visual Poem, and Story of Love Tested by Mental Illness

March 10, 2011 -  mindyourmind.ca feature blogger Michael Kimber and Egg Films announced the release of "The Cure - A Visual Poem" today. The Cure is Michael's personal journey, a 25-year-old journalist who found himself immobilized by anxiety two years ago. Through this beautifully crafted video, Kimber extracts humour and real love from his darkest trials. The Cure is a story about the end of Michael's childhood, from the loss of friends to suicide and addiction, to the endless struggle to find a job, a love that lasts and becoming a grown up. The visual poem romance between Michael and his girlfriend take on magical proportions, in a time without sleep or the ability to concentrate. In the darkest places in himself he still loves her and struggles to come back to himself.

"Everyone tells us to talk about mental illness but we rarely get a clear picture of what life is actually like for people living with a mental illness" says Kimber. "We only tell the success stories of celebrities who accomplish their miracles despite the obstacles in their way. But we need to talk about people who don't have stories that sell papers. Those people, who get up, take medication, exercise and go to work every day no matter how they feel".

The video was filmed and edited by Egg Films out of Halifax Nova Scotia. Producer, Mike Hachey, who has worked with the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, explains "I was inspired by Michael's story, and wanted to be able to share his experience of mental health struggles visually. Combining Kimber's words with stunning visuals can hopefully challenge mental health stigma and relay a message of hope, recovery and resilience to others who may be living through similar experiences."

About one in five people – over six and a half million Canadians – experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime. Unfortunately, two-thirds of those people don't get treatment due to the stigma associated. "I want to make people understand that my experience is frighteningly common and that not everyone is as lucky as I was... My hope is that this video will encourage people to speak for themselves", adds Kimber.

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