The Bridge - The Bridge. Directed by Eric Steel, Koch Lorber Films, 2006

The Bridge is a documentary by Director Eric Steele that records 24 suicides from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The film was inspired by ‘Jumpers’, Tad Friend's 2003 article in The New Yorker. Steel has compared the images of the ‘jumpers’ to Bruegel's painting ‘Landscape with the fall of Icarus’; because the fatal leaps go almost unnoticed by passers-by. In the corner of the painting, a pair of legs disappears into the water with a splash so small it is hardly noticed by the other people in the picture.

The Bay Bridge is one of the most popular suicide destinations in the world. Eleven men died in its construction when it was completed in 1937. Since then it is estimated that 1300 have leapt to their deaths off the 4 ft railing, while only 26 have survived the 220 ft, 4 s, 75 mph jump into the Bay's ice cold water.

The Bridge was filmed in the daylight hours through the whole of 2004 using two cameras one with a telephoto lens that captures a close-up view of the bridge and the other with a wide angle camera that gives a long ‘postcard’ shot of the bridge. The operator only had to change the tapes every hour and press record. When looking for potential suicides the film crew paid special attention to people who were alone, hesitant, lingering or pacing a little too long, sometimes crying or just staring.

Interviews with families, friends and those who survived their fall are one of the most touching aspects of the film. The film doesn't just document jumps, it triangulates on the jumpers, their families and the witnesses whose lives are changed by their inadvertent participation in a stranger's act of self-destruction.

The two stories that stand out in the film are those of Gene and Kevin. The film begins and ends with Gene's story. Gene Sprague, a long-haired 34-year-old biker-type is seen walking up and down the bridge contemplating suicide. Steel was criticised for not calling for help since Gene was filmed for 90 min before his jump. Steel has taken pains to point out that saving lives was a priority for him, that the bridge security office was called the moment anything suspicious was seen through the camera. Steel estimates they prevented six jumps that year. But Steel did mislead the authorities about the purpose of his cameras and did not inform relatives that he had actual footage of their loved ones’ last moments until much later. He felt that the film would not have been possible if he had not taken these measures.

The story of Kevin is a very different one. Kevin Hines, a young man with bipolar disorder decided midway in his jump that he wanted to live and positioned his body into a sitting posture before he hit the water. He survived, but with severe damage to his back. Kevin recalls standing on the bridge crying for 40 min before making the jump. The only person to approach him was a German tourist, oblivious to his tears, who asked him to take her picture.

Steel wanted to punctuate the debate about the suicide barrier at the bridge and as a consequence of the film the Bridge District authorities instigated a study on a possible barrier in April 2006; the cost of actually building the barrier is estimated at $25 million.

What stands out in the film is the stark contrast between the beautifully shot film and the difficult issue at its heart. The issue of suicide has been dealt with great honesty. There is nothing gratuitous or vulgar in the depictions. No judgements are made nor is there any accusatory finger wagging. The documentary is brave and unflinching; it is honest and therefore hard to watch. It is a must see for anyone with an interest in mental health and suicide.