Screening of The Son and Community Discussion
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Wed, Mar 01 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Address (map)
618 State Street
Fusion Academy Santa Barbara will host a private showing of “The Son” to be followed by a panel of area mental health professionals who will help facilitate an open conversation about teen suicide.
Parents are invited to attend a free screening of “The Son” by Florian Zeller. Sony Pictures Classics released “The Son” last fall. Starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, and Anthony Hopkins, the film follows a family as it faces life after divorce and remarriage and braces the mental health challenges and self-destructive behaviors of a teenage son. Following the movie, parents can ask questions about how to talk to their teens and better manage mental health challenges.
- What: Special screening of “The Son” followed by a community conversation
- Where: Metropolitan Metro 4 Theatre, 618 State Street, Santa Barbara
- When: March 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. PST
- How to attend: Register in advance here to receive a ticket.
- Cost: Complimentary
- Note: This event is intended for parents and guardians.
“Families are generally afraid to talk about what to do when confronted with their teen’s depression, anxiety or self-harming,” said Santa Barbara Psychologist Ron Brooks, Ph.D. “Conversely, professionals fear what happens when families don’t talk about it. The Son is a launchpad for us start to that conversation.”
Brooks, whose practice is focused on adolescents and young adults, together with Fusion Santa Barbara Head of School Shayne Horan, Ed.D., will participate in the discussion following the movie and will be joined by other area professionals, including:
- Sam Althauser, D.O.
- Christina Donaldson, Ph.D.
- Melissa Flanigan, Psy.D.
- Joann Ng, M.D.
“We live in challenging times and are regularly faced with plenty of unhappy endings,” Horan said. “We are humbled by the willingness of our panel to support this effort and provide this gift to the community.”
Fusion Academy is a revolutionary, life-changing school providing a personalized education for middle and high schoolers. Fusion Academy opened at 510 State Street in late August and is the 31st California campus for the national education provider.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) Help line at 1(800) 950-6294, text 62640, email helpline@nami.org or chat at nami.org/help.