A FILMMAKER first inspired by the creative hub of the Bega Valley, Cian O’Clery, has just been awarded Best Directing for a Documentary Series at the Australian Directors Guild Awards.
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Applauding from afar was Cian’s proud mother, Karen O’Clery, who runs Narek Galleries in Tanja.
“I couldn’t be there on the awards’ night as the gallery was open,” Ms O’Clery said.
“But I’m very proud of him.”
The Australian Directors Guild Awards (ADGA) is one of the nation’s most respected award ceremonies, celebrating the work of our country’s finest directors across feature film, documentary, television, short film, animation, new digital media and music videos.
There are 17 categories of awards, including Best Documentary Series.
Mr O’Clery’s was one of five shows nominated for this category, for his three-part documentary series Changing Minds: the Inside Story, chronicling the journey of patients with mental health.
“The ADGA represents the premium body of directors in Australia, so it was a huge honour to win,” Mr O’Clery said.
“But the most special thing for me was that these awards are peer-judged.”
Changing Minds aired during Mental Health Week in October last year.
Filmed over 11 weeks in Liverpool Hospital’s Mental Health Unit, the series followed the stories of patients and staff in the process of treating and overcoming mental illness.
Filming of this kind is not for the faint-hearted, with Liverpool Hospital’s psychiatric unit one of the biggest and busiest in the country.
As with all mental health units, access is highly restricted and filming opportunities rare.
“Getting permission to film was mostly because of the strong relationship between the supervising producer, Alison Black, and Dr Mark Cross who is Clinical Director of Mental Health at Liverpool Hospital,” Mr O’Clery said.
“Everyone agreed the timing was right.
“We developed a very carefully laid out agreement, and the hospital big-wigs had to view the final edit to give clearance before it went to air, to help assess if there’d be any negative impact to the patients.”
Apart from the award, the greatest measure of success for Mr O’Clery is the feedback from the patients themselves.
“Not one person regrets being part of the show, despite being filmed in times of crisis,” he said.
“And the positive impact has been huge.
“It’s created a more open conversation about mental illness, increasing respect and understanding.
“What people don’t understand they fear.
“By telling personal stories which are engaging to an audience, we’ve helped remove the labels and stigma attached to mental health.”
The success of the first series has led to the ABC commissioning a second series, currently in production.
The focus this time is the Campbelltown Hospital and community area, and will once again use an observational approach to film approximately 12 patients undergoing treatment.
And Mr O’Clery is as passionate as ever.
“There’s so much crap on TV, so it’s great doing films that make a difference,” he said.
“The series will be educational and compelling, as well as interesting to watch.”
The second series is once again scheduled to coincide with Mental Health week in October.
When it goes to air, there’s at least one woman in the Valley who will be glued to the set.
“Cian started his film career wrangling cats on Babe 2,” Ms O’Clery laughed.
“I can’t believe how far he’s gone.”
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