Black People Don’t Get Depressed (2024)

• political
• documentary

Logline

A poetic exploration of mental health issues among black creatives in communities on the African continent and in the diaspora, exploring myths, stigma and solutions through the personal stories of the characters.

Plot Summary

As the title of this engaging documentary suggests, depression is often unacknowledged in indigenous Southern African cultures and is instead written off as something that is ‘for white people’. But, as the film makes abundantly clear, the impact of mental health is a fundamentally human experience that transcends all boundaries, racial or otherwise. In Black People Don’t Get Depressed, a filmmaker despairing for her mental peace embarks on the journey of facing her depression—but only when it becomes clear that it is something she can no longer avoid or deny. As she moves inwards towards herself, she speaks to other people about their mental health and their experience of depression as Africans—and what they go through to try and alleviate their suffering. This is a timely and vital film for South Africa, where issues around mental health cut across all layers of society.