How are you travelling?
Outback Australia has the highest suicide rates in the country, particularly for men, so when mental health motorcycle gang ‘Psychs on Bikes’ rolls into town, it can kick start a ‘life-changing’ conversation. Join ‘Psychs on Bikes’ on an epic road trip and ‘mental health mission’ around Australia.
Interview with Producer Craig Elder
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
During the pandemic, the mental health motorbike group ‘Psychs On Bikes’ came up with a crazy mission to travel around Australia to perform health checks in remote and rural communities.
I was asked if I would be interested in making a documentary about their journey. As my wife is one of the gang and I am a filmmaker. I felt compelled to join the mission. With the help of another filmmaker we ‘hit the road’ with Psychs on Bikes and now we finally have a documentary to show for our efforts.
It was an incredible journey into the hearts and minds of rural and remote Australians as well as an epic adventure into outback Australia.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
In Australia, suicide takes more lives than skin cancer… Psychs On Bikes takes us on a journey to understand how we can change this statistic by starting a conversation.
How are you travelling? is a documentary about Mental Health, Motorbikes and Adventure that presents a simple question we all need to ask ‘ourselves’ and the people we ‘love’.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
My fathers 'brother' suicided and tragically so did his father... so I have personally witnessed the devastation this has caused. Although 'mental health' is something we talk about more... do we really know 'how to talk' about what's going on for 'ourselves' and the people close to us.
In the documentary, for the people we met on the way, it was a rare chance to have an ‘honest and open’ conversation with a professional, and for Psychs On Bikes, a chance to hear stories that shape the ‘hearts and minds’ of people living in some of the harshest environments across Australia.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The documentary was produced in an organic way as we were filming 'fly on the wall' scenarios however we also had the chance to plan key stories before we departed. This proved to be vital as we could craft/produce some of the stories before we arrived. When filming a road trip there is only so much you can plan so the post-production process of weaving stories together was a big part of the challenge in making this doco.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We have had an incredible response to the doco so far. Our intention is to create an ongoing series about 'Psychs On Bikes' adventures... a bit like the ABC's 'Back Roads' but with a mental health focus that explores what makes people tick and of course takes us to 'remote and rural' areas of Australia and beyond.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I have been surprised by how many people are still uneasy talking about their own mental health... this is changing, but mental health is a skill we need to learn, the language of emotion and 'how to have' an honest conversation.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The documentary is both an epic ‘road trip’ and a ‘mental health’ mission that ultimately challenges us to think about our own mental health. We hope we can inspire people to start their own conversations and to genuinely ask people close to them, “How are YOU travelling?".
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
A documentary that captures the ‘spirit of adventure’ and the importance of our own ‘mental health’ is a timely narrative. Suicide numbers are still increasing and take more lives than skin cancer.
We are looking for a distributor to share this story with a wider audience... in addition, we are also looking for funding to produce an ongoing series.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Destigmatizing mental health still has a long way to go… the documentary shows how powerful conversation can be, it’s about knowing to how start one. We hope we can inspire people to start talking about what's going on for them.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Well, it's the name of the documentary... "How are you travelling?".
Would you like to add anything else?
Making the documentary was an incredible journey into the hearts and minds of rural and remote Australians as well as an epic adventure into outback Australia.
We hope you enjoy the documentary.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Currently, working for Fremantle Media on the TV series Grand Designs.
Interview: June 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
How are you travelling?
Outback Australia has the highest suicide rates in the country, particularly for men, so when mental health motorcycle gang ‘Psychs on Bikes’ rolls into town, it can kick start a ‘life-changing’ conversation. Join ‘Psychs on Bikes’ on an epic road trip and ‘mental health mission’ around Australia.
Length: 1:17:00
Director: Craig Elder
Producer: Craig Elder
Writer: Craig Elder, Nicky Chudleigh
About the writer, director and producer:
Swiss French-born JEROME PELLETIER has over 30 years of experience in the film industry as a Director, DoP & editor. He has won over 20 awards from the Victorian branch of the Australian Cinematographer’s Society. In 1999 he started Stepping Stone Films, a production company based in Melbourne, collaborating mainly with Universities, NFP organisations and foundations, specialising in the field of research, science, health and education. Jerome has extensive knowledge and experience, both professionally and personally, in mental health including collaborating with Beyond Blue on diverse mental health projects.
NICKY CHUDLEIGH brings to the project more than three decades of professional experience in writing and production, through careers in advertising, communication, and working with not-for-profits, winning Australian and international awards for her work.
CRAIG ELDER has been producing and directing for over three decades and is passionate about creating crafted ‘visual experiences’. Having won numerous awards combined with a diverse portfolio of work across a range of areas including broadcast, web and social platforms, Craig has the experience to deliver productions that engage and inspire. TV and Documentary work includes award-winning projects for notable broadcasters, currently working for Fremantle Media on the series Grand Designs.
Key cast: Joe Dunn, Psychiatrist / Founder of Psychs on Bikes, Susan Jury, President of POB VIC
Looking for: distributors, buyers, producers
Facebook: Psychs on Bikes
Website: www.psychsonbikes.com
Funders: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-for-documentary-pilot
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival