SYNOPSIS:

After losing a close friend to suicide, a group of college students from the University of Missouri was determined to enact positive change. They quickly formed a nonprofit, Wake Up, premised on spreading awareness: their educational initiatives were designed to encourage a massive cultural shift away from social stigmas surrounding mental illness, depression, and suicide.

Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention emerged from this collective movement. The film sheds light on four different groups with varied stories to tell about suicide—American veterans, members of the LGBT community, university students, and gun owners. Through their testimony, the film weaves a diverse tapestry of experiences into a multifaceted narrative of the heroes on the frontlines. As it delves deeper into their experiences, Wake Up confronts tragedy with a call to action: by exploring ways to start thoughtful conversations and push for systemic legislative change, it foregrounds steps to a better world.

SUMMARY:

In June of 2014, Ryan Candice, a high-achieving student at the University of Missouri, took his life days before his twenty-first birthday. Shocked and saddened, his friends set out to learn and educate others about one of the fastest growing causes of death in the United States. 'Wake Up' interweaves the stories of four different frontlines of suicide prevention across the country, highlighting some of the communities most affected by the epidemic. 

In Philadelphia, an LGBT activist photographs portraits of suicide attempt survivors. In the Intermountain-West, veterans from Iraq and Vietnam receive treatment at a renowned in-patient clinic. A Louisiana couple loses their only son—a standout student at LSU—and decides to tour the country educating college students of the risks and signs of suicide. Finally, a seemingly disparate group of politicians, gun lobbyists, and Harvard researchers take steps to combat firearm suicide in Utah—a unique collaboration with important and timely lessons. 

'Wake Up' threads these stories into a single narrative that educates the public on America’s most dire health crisis, and inspires viewers to take action. With commentary from Congressman Joe Kennedy (D-MA), renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Joiner, and a number of other major players in the mental health field, Wake Up is the first film of its kind to introduce to the public America’s ever-changing fight against suicide.

LOGLINE:

After a friend's unexpected suicide, two St. Louis college students formed a non-profit and began a nationwide journey to explore the cultural and institutional circumstances that failed their friend and 40,000+ other people each year.