Braaains

Today our special guests are writer/ director Bernard Gray and actor Dwain Murphy. We discussed Men's Mental Health within the Black Community and how they explored this topic in the film, The Other Stuff, which recently premiered at the Reelworld Festival in Toronto. The film offers an honest exploration of how Black men, especially those from environments of crime, straddle the paths of good and evil as they attempt to transition into healthier, more fulfilling lives.

The film follows Winston played by Dwain Murphy (CROSS, DIGGSTOWN), and Shannon played by Golden Madison (CROSS, LAW & ORDER TORONTO: CRIMINAL INTENT) who embark on a journey of self-discovery through couples therapy before preparing to start a family. However, their journey takes an unexpected and intense turn when Winston's suppressed childhood trauma surfaces. Under immense emotional strain, Winston confronts his uncle—the source of his abuse—in an effort to find healing and closure. The film highlights the critical role of therapy in helping men face their pain and work through the deep emotional scars that often remain buried. Content warning: we talk about homophobia and physical and sexual abuse in this episode.

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-podcast-transcript_-EP066-Mens-Mental-Health-within-the-Black-Community.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

It's Halloween and we're talking about horror, disability, and access with filmmaker and navigator of the creative multiverse, Ariel Baska.

We deep dive into A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ginger Snaps, and Wait Until Dark, and discuss how each film made Ariel feel seen in some way. We also discuss their horror documentary Monsterous Me and their work as a horror filmmaker telling stories around disability through a lens of genre.

Lastly, we touch upon Ariel's TIFF panel about festivals and accessibility (MICROSESSIONS All Access Pass: Opening Doors for Every Audience) and their work as the founder of Access: Horror, a film festival and industry summit celebrating the history, future, and impact of disability in the genre space.

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/BRAAAINS-PODCAST-TRANSCRIPT-Episode-065_-TIFF-Special_-Horror-disability-and-access.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

SAD JOKES is the story of Joseph, a gay filmmaker, who co-parents with Sonya who is struggling with depression. The film captures a moment in time when Joseph has to juggle his family life, love life, and artistic ambition while Sonya's away at a clinic during a mental health crisis.

Writer, director, and star, Fabian Stumm, tells us about the making of the film and how his personal life colored this film. Growing up with a dad with depression, Fabian understood at a young age that sometimes the people who are meant to take care of you can break down. He took that perspective into Joseph's character as he tried to keep everything together when his partner was in that state of crisis.

The film also shows a family dynamic we rarely see on screen: two friends co-parenting a child. Fabian believes that if you want to change something, you can talk about it or you can show how it can be. If you create something an audience can aspire to, then it shows new possibilities and a path you can head toward (we believe the same, too!).

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-EP064-Transcript-TIFF-Special_-SAD-JOKES-and-the-Perspective-of-Being-a-Car.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Today we have a special guest and dear friend of Heather's, Claire Ayoub. Claire is a writer, a director, an advocate, an educator, a leader, and an amazing friend to all – she also has the debut of her feature film, EMPIRE WAIST, coming out THIS FRIDAY, September 27th at a theater near you!

Empire Waist follows a group of teens learning to love their bodies through inclusive fashion design and friendship. Not only do we talk about this amazing film, but we also discuss body image, body representation, and how learning to love yourself exactly as you are can sometimes feel like a radical act.

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/BRAAAINS-PODCAST-TRANSCRIPT-EPISODE-063_-Empire-Waists-Exploration-of-Body-Image-and-Teen-Friendship.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and we have a wonderful interview with writer, director, and actress, Nadine Crocker. We talk about her film, Continue, and the importance of representing depression and suicidal ideation on film and TV. We also talk about shows like The Bear and Modern Love (amongst many).

CONT;NUE is based on true events from Nadine's life dealing with suicide and depression. After surviving a suicide attempt when she was 23 years old, Nadine is now a wife, mother, and friend to so many. A content warning to all our listeners that we will be talking about suicide throughout this episode and will also be talking about the toolkit that Nadine dips into when she is dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide.

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Transcript-EP062_-Suicidal-Ideation-in-The-Bear-Modern-Love-and-Nadine-Crockers-Con.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

We have decided to take a summer break and will be back in September with an interview with writer, director, and advocate, Claire Ayoub. For those of you in Edmonton, we're having an in-person event for our guests and listeners in August. Keep an eye on social media for our invite if you're interested in meeting us in person!

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-061-Transcript-SUMMER-BREAK.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

Our last episode before our summer break is one of the first guests our listeners asked us to have on the show! We had the absolute pleasure of talking to DR. KATHLEEN SMITH, a licensed therapist and writer who lives in Washington, DC. Her books include Everything Isn't Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down, as well as her latest book, True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself.

Today we're talking about anxiety through the lens of how it functions in relation to others and how you can manage different forms of anxious behavior within relationships. We cover the three As that manifest because of anxiety -- Avoiding, accommodating, and acting out -- and imagine what it would be like to let that go and be yourself and let other people be the same.

We discuss how we can get stuck in patterns and what it takes to break out of them while dealing with the accompanying uncomfortableness. We also talk about the impact of over-functioning and under-functioning roles in relationships and how we are responsible TO someone and not FOR them. Such an important distinction!

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Transcript-Ep060-Exploring-Family-Dramas-and-How-Anxiety-Manifests-in-Relationships.pdf

ORDER True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790863-true-to-you

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

We deep-dive into the films and television that best represent the different experiences of having breast cancer with our guest filmmaker and indie journalist, Traven Rice. We look at how things can change for people experiencing recurrence, why you need a support network, and Traven's wish for a trigger warning for films and TV with cancer stories. CW: Conversations about terminal cancer and death.

Support Traven's latest short film about breast cancer at LayLeftyDown.com

Listen to our full conversation with Traven about her experience with breast cancer at: https://braaainspodcast.com/episodes/breast-cancer

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Transcript-EP59_-The-Family-Stone-and-Other-Breast-Cancer-Stories.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

We have the pleasure of talking with filmmaker and journalist, Traven Rice, about her experiences with Breast Cancer. We talk about how she discovered she had cancer, her treatment, the effects breast cancer can have on your mind and body, and the importance of community. We discuss how breast cancer can impact your view of your identity and how a mastectomy is not just a "boob job." We also talk about seeing the experience of Breast Cancer on screen and why Traven wanted to create a comedic film about having a memorial for her left breast called Lay Lefty Down, which she is currently raising funds for at LayLeftyDown.com. Content warning – today we discuss terminal cancer and death. Listen to our conversation on breast cancer representation in film and TV: https://braaainspodcast.com/episodes/breast-cancer-representation DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Transcript_-Episode-58-The-Big-C_-Breast-Cancer-and-Mental-Health.pdf Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com Follow: @BraaainsPodcast Music: @_Deppisch_ Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast

00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgment

00:36 Exploring Traven Rice's Experience with Breast Cancer

06:18 The Emotional Impact of Discovering Breast Cancer

08:37 Navigating Treatment Decisions and Medical Team

10:54 Camp Breastie and the Importance of Supportive Communities

13:41 The Need for Open Conversations and Awareness

19:26 Creating a Comedic Film about Breast Cancer

23:08 Emotional Journey and Healing through Filmmaking

26:30 Breast Cancer Myths and Realizations

29:25 The Importance of Sharing Experiences

30:22 Addressing the Emotional and Psychological Aspects of Breast Cancer

31:17 Finding Support and Building a Community

34:35 Utilizing Resources for Support

38:55 Advocating for Comfortable Medical Care

43:15 The Power of Laughter and Sharing Stories

44:13 Lay Lefty Down: Starting Conversations and Providing Support with Film

49:17 Sarah Received a Grant for a Personal Film Project -- Hoorah!

51:46 The Need for Diverse Stories and Voices

This mini-episode is a continuation of our conversation with Alim Somji, the Chairperson of AboutFace, a Canadian non-profit organization that strives to eliminate the stigma and discrimination encountered by individuals with facial differences. We dig into some of the stigmas surrounding facial differences and what Alim's biggest personal turning point was when it came to his own facial difference.

Listen to the full interview with Alim here: https://braaainspodcast.com/episodes/facial-differences

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Transcript-EP057_-The-Stigmas-of-Facial-Differences.pdf

Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com

Follow: @BraaainsPodcast

Music: @_Deppisch_

Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast