Movie: The Silent Epidemic

• Director: Ili Bare
• Release Date: December 12, 2010
• Run Time: 52 mins
• Genre: Documentary

Every month, an estimated 200,000 Australians deliberately hurt themselves. They cut, scratch, burn and sometimes even break bones. It’s called self-harm, and it peaks in teenagers and young people. explores this dark and often secret behaviour, asking why more and more people are turning to self-harm as a way to cope with life. Interweaving their personal stories with scientific enquiry, casts a unique lens onto what is fast becoming a problem that can no longer remain hidden. In response to the growing numbers, a group of Melbourne scientists are hunting for a radical solution to self-harm with a world-first experiment. charts their progress: it is both a wake-up call, and ultimately, a story of hope.