On March 2, 2023, a special screening of the film was held for the students, parents and guardians of the Grades 6–12 community. Families were welcomed into the Middle School by a team of Grades 6 and 7 students and their delightful concession stand, selling food and drinks to hungry film-goers. All funds from the stand went to Kids Help Phone, an over-the-phone and online mental health counselling service for Canadian youth. 

Angst is a documentary about how young people deal with anxiety and experience struggles with their mental health. The film aims to remove the stigma and open up the conversation about mental health, helping youth and their families understand that a certain amount of anxiety is healthy and what to do if it becomes too much. “Angst is a wonderful film that outlines and hears from young people directly about their experiences with worrying and anxiety. It also emphasizes how we should look for help, talk to people and how we can help ourselves through difficult times,” shares Dr. Carolyn Mak, Branksome’s Director of Well-Being and School Counselling.

While we teach our students to put their mental well-being first  and encourage them to use every resource available to them when they need support, it can still be incredibly hard to reach out. Angst shows its audiences that they are not alone when it comes to difficulties with mental health. Mak expresses her pride in the school’s efforts towards prioritizing well-being, noting, “Branksome is really focused on well-being. We want to make sure that we are holding events where we can come together as a community and dialogue about what these experiences are like.” 

Branksome Hall hopes to continue the conversation around mental health with future film screenings, book clubs and speakers. Special thank you to the Class of’86 Mental Health Initiative, the Grade 6 and 7 leaders who sold concessions, and Carolyn Mak and our team of Counsellors and Social Workers for making this screening a success. Watch the event highlight reel here.