Genevieve Bailey is a documentarian who has drawn attention to the impact of societal struggles with mental illness through her empathetic and nurturing body of work. With feature films like I Am Eleven and Happy Sad Man, Gen embraces a supportive mindset, using the power of cinema to bring real stories to audiences. It's that sense of support that is keenly felt in her latest documentary, Always Listening, a short film about the history of Lifeline Australia. Gen takes us to the end of the telephone where we meet the many counsellors and support people who volunteer their time, emotions, and empathetic listening skills to guide people through mental health crisis events, suicidal ideation, and other critical mental struggles.

Like Gen's previous film Happy Sad Man, Always Listening is a beautiful and moving experience, opening audiences up to the power of understanding emotion and empathy, while also guiding people who live with their own mental health struggles to understand that there is help available and that people are there to support you through your most difficult moments. It's these two mindsets - the support and the supported - that has changed how I navigate my interviews and film coverage, leading me to ask questions that are focused around the emotion of a film, rather than the creative process of 'how it was made'.

That mindset shift comes from getting to see who the people are on the other end of the line: everyday folks who have sometimes been through their own mental health crisis, or live with their own struggles, or simply know what it's like to be in a place of need and are able to support those who need it most. These are gentle, genuine folks who are caring, engaged, and understand the complexity of the weight of the mental health crisis Australia, and by extension, the world faces.

Again, that's a notion that underpins how Genevieve Bailey embraces her work as a documentarian, telling stories that matter about people that care. I'm grateful to have been able to talk with Gen about Always Listening, but to also be able to share with you her stories, including the impact her films have had on audiences around the world.

Always Listening is screening on SBS On Demand right now. It's only thirty minutes long, but will leave a mark. If you or someone you love is going through a mental health crisis, Lifeline Australia is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. For more information, visit Lifeline.org.au.

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