Wigan man creates feature film about his own mental health experiences

David DeGiorgio has written and will produce the film called Watching Goldfish Suffocate, a slightly fictionalised retelling of his own struggles with depression and bipolar disorder.

The project has gone through several iterations, beginning life as a plan for a one-man show before Dave settled on making a film, which as well as featuring himself in the starring role, will include some established actors.

The 38-year-old, who lives in Worsley Mesnes and works at Total Fitness in Marus Bridge, said: “It’s based on a true story of what I went through in 2015. I went undiagnosed with bipolar for a long time. It caught up on me and I went through some very weird times, and I ended up getting sectioned and put onto a recovery ward in Wigan, where I recovered and everything has been okay since.

“It started off as just a few ideas while I was in the hospital. I was writing stuff down, which turned into an idea for a one man show, then into a theatre show.

“I got approached by some producers to make it into a film, but at the last moment we lost out on a £1m investment. But I started thinking about it and maybe I could fund it myself.

“I’ve tried to be as brutal as I can with it. You often find, with mental health films, that they’re very well advertised and have gimmicks to them. I’ve tried to break Watching Goldfish Suffocate down and try to make it more honest and raw. There are little things that some people don’t even realise about mental health, that I go into.”

The film is being produced with the support of Elerby Studios, and The Old Courts has also lent its support to the film’s advertising campaign once the film is completed. Many scenes in the film will also be shot at The Old Courts, in Crawford Street.

David added: “Everything is up in the air with all that’s going on, but we are very close (to starting production) and have done a little filming.

“We travelled up to John O’Groats to do a scene, but it will probably be a couple of months before we properly get going. We have started doing the casting, and we’ve successfully cast Dolly-Rose Campbell who features on Coronation Street. It was hard work getting her on board, but she’s been fantastic.”

To find out more about the film, visit facebook.com/watchinggoldfishsuffocate.

If you need someone to talk to, the Samaritans can be reached at 116 123, or by email at [email protected]