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Check out “Calls”.
New Yorker Documentary
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Over the course of 18 minutes, Calls, a documentary directed by Lindsay Dryden, follows a series of people sharing their deep thoughts, their faces hidden. In this way, the film captures the experiences of those whose voices we hear behind the scenes: the volunteers of Switchboard, a telephone helpline for LGBTQ people in the UK. Set up in 1974, Switchboard quickly established itself as a 24-hour resource. Volunteers who staff the line share some of their most memorable interactions, covering topics ranging from the joys and pleasures (What should I wear to Pride? Do you know a good leather bar?) to serious issues around love, loss and marginalisation. Volunteers recount situations where a caller shares stories of a toxic relationship, the sadness of unrequited love, or gender dysphoria so overwhelming that it makes them contemplate suicide. One volunteer notes this sense of responsibility. “When you answer a call, you could be holding the life of the person on the other end of the line in your hands… so you need to have training, understanding, empathy – not sympathy, but the ability to understand who that person is and what they’re going through.”
Sourse: newyorker.com
