Connecting the dots film premiere

2 September 2021

Orygen Global is thrilled and honoured to host a free online screening of Connecting the Dots by award winning Canadian director, Noemi Weis on Tuesday, 28 September 2021, 8.00pm AEST.

Connecting the Dots is the first feature documentary of its kind to offer a raw and intimate look at youth mental health from a global perspective. With heart-felt poignant stories of lived experience, the film exclusively showcases young voices from around the world breaking barriers surrounding youth mental health. Through highly cinematic and character driven storytelling, Connecting the Dots is emotional, reflective and hopeful. Our young leaders are speaking up. It's time to listen.

Watch the trailer

Following the screening, a panel with young people, film participants and the director, Noemi Weis, will discuss some of the key themes from the film, including the local impact on their communities, and the way in which young people can support each other and learn from others experiences.

Event details

Please note that this film includes young people speaking openly about their mental health and the panel discussion may be discussing sensitive topics relating to mental health.

Time and date:

Melbourne, Australia (AEST): Tuesday 28 September 2021, 8pm–10pm
Toronto, Canada (EDT): Tuesday 28 September 2021, 6am-8am
UTC: Tuesday 28 September 2021, 10am–12pm
Oslo, Norway (CEST): Tuesday 28 September 2021, 12pm–2pm
Nairobi, Kenya, (EAT): Tuesday 28 September 2021, 1pm–3pm

Find out more about Connecting the dots on the film's website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.

Panel

Chair: Ella Gow

Ella Gow is the youth partnerships lead for Orygen Global. She is responsible for developing and facilitating initiatives to ensure that Orygen Global meaningfully includes, values and centres a diverse range of youth voices worldwide. Ella has a background in health promotion and public health, and has held various lived experience advocacy and youth advisory roles. Ella has a keen interest in addressing the social determinants of health, system reform and empowering young people to be catalysts for change.

Noemí Weis (Canada), Director of Connecting the Dots

Noemi is an award-winning writer, director and producer who has spent over 20-years telling stories on the big and small screens, from her worldwide advertising projects to her award-winning documentaries.

As a humanitarian and an advocate leader, Noemí journeys where stories take her to bring voice to the world’s most vulnerable. Her films have been sold in more than 50 countries receiving numerous awards globally, but most important, making in a difference in communities around the world.

Alex Symmans, Film participant (Australia)

Alex is 20 years old and lives in Perth, Western Australia. As a person with lived experience in mental health and the health care system, Alex has made it a priority to help others. Through ongoing and active volunteer work with ambulance services, Alex reports having a broader perspective on life, growth in knowledge around mental health, and welcoming new opportunities from challenging comfort zones.

“My participation in this film has been nothing but inspiring, to see how my little video diaries from my car were incorporated into it, and seeing everyone else and their experiences has been motivational.”

Fatima-Zahra Ma-el-ainin (morocco)

Fatima-Zahra is a psychologist and poet whose work focuses on rethinking personal and collective narratives and examining how they shape and influence our perspectives, world views and human systems. She's currently serving as the co-chair for the advisory council at Orygen Global, as well as a WEF Global Shaper, building and sustaining intergenerational, cross-disciplinary collaboration to bring mental health to the heart of global agendas.

Maiyshla Chunwan (Mauritius)

Maiyshla is young mental health advocate from Mauritius, a health promotion professional and youth advisor on Orygen Global Advisory Council and hopes to build alliances and developing networks that can create the groundswell that is necessary to turn the tide in the youth mental health space around the world.

She has extensive experience in working with vulnerable communities both in Australia and Mauritius. She has also volunteered on numerous committees such as Kalgoorlie local drug action group, headspace Youth Advisory Council and the Australian Health Promotion Association and is currently involved with Mind Matters Mauritius.

Natalie Tanaka Murwira, Film participant (Zimbabwe)

Natalie has participated in the production of Connecting the Dots in her capacity of peer counsellor at the Friendship Bench Zimbabwe.

“I joined the bench as a buddy and the production of this global film because I want to help young people live an emotional healthy life."

She is currently on her final year of Psychology at Midland State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe and a big advocate for youth mental health.