There have been many developments in this past year as the Bridge Board of Directors have become more educated about the vast number of deaths, and the fact that this is a current and ongoing problem.

There has been significant progress and consciousness raising as a direct result of the front page headlines, the constant pressure of the Psychiatric Foundation of Northern California, and in some small way my own film (which was distributed to all of the Bridge Directors and recounts, in part, a history of suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge).

I invite anyone interested in reading that history to visit the film’s website (joyoflifemovie.com) where you can download a copy of the script. Please note that the history is in the second half of the script. The film will also be released on DVD this summer.

Thanks,

Jenni Olson
Writer/Director, “The Joy of Life”

I recently saw the film that I think that you are referring to. The Bridge was, I believe, a tasteful, insightful and illuminating project. It included an interview with a young jumper that was grateful for having survived, as well as tension built by watching a man wandering up and down, perhaps to leap.

The DVD includes interviews with the crew. They had walkie-talkie with bridge security to alert them to potential suicides. They were most definitely not there for the sake of rubber-necking.

Although I have a serious fear of heights, last year I became obsessed with the concept of leaping off the Ben Franklin Bridge. I spent some time thinking about how I would get over the rails, if I’d need to bring a step-up and so on. The net seems like a nice bandaid for a deep wound.