‘Change Direction’ tackles Aboriginal suicide crisis
This article contains sensitive content, including references to suicide.
Leading Aboriginal creatives, mental health professionals, and voices have partnered with Apparent and Photoplay to launch ‘Change Direction’, an awareness initiative focused on the staggering rate of suicide in Aboriginal communities. Apparent’s creative director Jackson Long gave Mumbrella an exclusive deep dive into the initiative.
‘Change Direction’ looks at disenfranchisement and disempowerment within Aboriginal communities. What began as a pro-bono partnership with Aboriginal-owned and operated counselling service King’s Narrative evolved into something bigger in the course of the project.
King’s Narrative works to retrain and connect young Aboriginal people, particularly men, to their culture. The service hopes to “change the narrative” around Aboriginal pride and culture, countering negative stories and finding the positive.
A still of the Change Direction film
Long told Mumbrella the approach resonated with Apparent.
“We started asking them how we could lend our creativity and thinking to something on a bigger scale,” he said. “This was around the Voice referendum, which failed, but that birthed this desire for us at Apparent to do something, to make a cultural statement in conjunction with the Aboriginal community.”
Thinking of how the agency could creatively rework the narrative, Apparent landed on the idea of a palindrome poem. Co-written with Bundjalung-Gumbaynggirr poet Dakota Feirer, this was the first step to bring ‘Change Direction’ to life.
“The first half of the poem is that external narrative and the feelings internally that Aboriginal people who are in mental health strife might feel, that disconnection to their culture,” Long said. “Then the second hald is a reversal of that. You get a message of connection to culture, pride, empowerment, and agency. And we loved that. That’s how this began.”
Long, who is not Aboriginal, acknowledged that being an ally is all about “exercising your sphere or influence”. For Apparent, it was important not to speak on behalf of the Aboriginal community: they needed a partner.
They stumbled across the Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health. Founded by psychologist Tracy Westerman, who is from Nyamal country, the institute is a leading non-government, non-bureaucratic answer to the suicide crisis among Aboriginal communities.
The Change Direction campaign is led by a short film which aims to change the direction of Aboriginal mental health by pointing to the Jilya Institute’s solution — more Aboriginal psychologists to improve screening and suicide prevention within Aboriginal communities.
The film has been directed by Cannes Film Festival-winning Aboriginal director Warwick Thornton, whose filmography includes Samson and Delilah, Sweet Country, and The New Boy. Thornton brought the poem to life.
“Warwick has been my filmmaking hero since I saw Samson and Delilah. It’s been a dream of mine forever to work with him. He doesn’t really do commercial work, but through my connections at Photoplay, we presented the idea to him,” Long said.
“He stood up in the middle of the pitch and cut us off, and said ‘this is it’. He was on board from the first concept reading, and it was an incredible privilege to work with him.”
Jingili-Mudburra-Waramungu actor Pedrea Jackson fronts the film, with a track by Butchulla songman Fred Leone.
Reflecting on the process, Long described ‘Change Direction’ as much more than a pro-bono campaign.
“It’s been my baby for 18 months,” he said. “But what we’re really trying to do is underscore the experience of Indigenous people and put their voices at the forefront. So as a creative director and producer on this, I’ve been so lucky and privileged to learn and put those stories forward.”
The goal of ‘Change Direction’ speaks to the flipped second half of the poem: it’s about changing people’s minds.
“The government has failed them, corporate Australia has failed them. The solutions lie within the power of that community and I’d love to see Australians begin to understand that. Aboriginal people have the self-determination, professionalism, talent drive to create a better future, but only if they’re given a voice and an opportunity.”
In a more practical sense, the initiative hopes to increase donations to the Jilya Institute to fund its psychology scholarships and solve the suicide crisis.
Actor Pedrea Jackson
The film and campaign launched nationwide leading into National Reconciliation Week 2025 (May 27 to June 3). It has pro-bono support across TV and streaming services from Seven, Nine, Foxtel, Binge, SBS, NITV, and the ABC, and OOH from Ooh Media, QMS, JC Decaux, and Val Morgan Outdoor.
Ads will also run in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Australian, Qantas Magazine, and via Val Morgan, 125 cinemas across the country. Qantas will also play ‘Change Direction’ as a pre-show short feature before all Australian movies throughout June and July.
The campaign also extends to social, featuring endorsements from prominent Aboriginal personalities including Cathy Freeman and Adam Goodes, as well as supporters such as Tim Minchin and Zoe Foster Blake.
“This was born as an idea without a client, which means it wasn’t attached to a budget or a brief,” Long said. “So the development stage is what took the longest. I often say it’s like going to a swap meet with a paperclip and leaving with a Lamborghini. We’ve really traded up.
“And with that, the support started moving faster and faster. I think we need more initiatives like this that unite the industry to get behind what really matters.”
Credits:
Client: The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health
Founder: Psychologist Dr. Tracy Westerman AM
Director & Cinematographer: Warwick Thornton
Poet: Dakota Feirer
Performer: Pedrea Jackson
Songman: Fred Leone
Agency: Apparent
Chief Executive Officer: Phil Smith
Managing Director: Suzy Smiley
Chief Creative and Experience Officer: Hamish Stewart
Executive Creative Director: Michelle Turchini
Creative Director: Jackson Long
Senior Creative: Theodora Gerakiteys
Design Director: Mikaelee Miller
Senior Designer: Jean-Paul Faint
Client Service Director: Matt Olanda
Group Business Director: Caroline Hutton
Account Director: Fraser Cotterill
Strategy Director: Josh Fardell
Chief Media Officer: Simon Pugh
Senior Integrated Producer: Jack Caldwell
Film production: Photoplay
Executive Producer: Florence Tourbier
Editor: Simon Njoo
Editor: Craig Deeker
Motion Designer: Mac Archibald
Timelapse Photographer: Murray Fredericks
On set Photographer: Ben Searcy
Casting Director: Anousha Zarkesh
Post production: KOJO
VFX & Colourist: Marty Pepper
Additional Online Editor: Jade Robinson
Post Production Coordinator: Georgia Lippe
Music and mix: OTIS
Director: Alejandro Gomez
Director: Lukas Farry
Executive Producer: Camille Yaptinchay
Sound Designer: Will Thackray
Instrumentation: Emma Greenhill
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