Having come to Barbados age 10, Izzy is bullied throughout his formative years by his piers at school and beaten by his mother on a more than often basis at home. He occasionally finds solace in the company of his best friend Jamal, especially when he is shown kindness and warmth by Mrs. Harris Jamal’s mother. Heartbreakingly these moments are short lived and most the time Izzy is lost. As the days go by he has regular thoughts about running away or killing himself. He is alone, with no one to listen or empathize with him and he hates it. He feels like his mother is present in person but emotionally she has never shown up. Constant yelling or beatings are the only interaction Izzy has ever known with her.
This movie shows hurt, abandonment and that depression and suicidal thoughts are not overtly noticeable but very real amongst our community both within adults and children. 26 will hopefully open up the conversation on mental health and offer techniques and avenues of support, especially targeting the Afro-Caribbean community where such conversations are still not widely spoken about.
Film Stills
