Let’s Talk About Suicide

In many cultures—and within faith communities—suicide remains a subject surrounded by silence, discomfort, and misunderstanding. Yet silence often deepens suffering, leaving individuals and families to navigate pain alone. Inside Suicide, a new four-part docuseries produced by the REMINDED project of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, seeks to change that reality by encouraging honest conversation, informed understanding, and compassionate response.

Suicide is one of the most complex and painful challenges faced by individuals, families, and communities worldwide. It affects people across age groups, cultures, socioeconomic settings, and religious backgrounds. Despite its global impact, it is frequently treated as a taboo topic—rarely addressed openly and often burdened by misinformation, fear, and deeply rooted myths. Faith communities are not immune to this struggle.

Created as part of REMINDED’s ongoing commitment to mental health education and suicide prevention, Inside Suicide confronts these challenges directly—without sensationalism, without theological oversimplification, and with a clear emphasis on hope.

A Global, Documentary-Style Approach

Produced as a fully documentary series, Inside Suicide consists of four episodes, each approximately 30 minutes long. Each episode explores different dimensions of suicide prevention, mental health, and faith, combining professional insight, lived experience, and theological reflection.

The series features more than 35 interviews with mental health professionals, educators, theologians, and pastoral counselors from around the world. Contributors represent at least eight countries, including Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ukraine, Kenya, and South Korea. Many work within Adventist institutions, including Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda University church, and Andrews University, as well as in community-based suicide prevention initiatives.

The series also includes voices beyond the Adventist tradition. A Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi offer historical and faith-based perspectives on suicide, underscoring that this is not a denominational issue, but a human one. Their inclusion reflects REMINDED’s commitment to dialogue and collaboration across faiths, professions, and cultures.

Stories That Humanize the Crisis

One of the most impactful aspects of Inside Suicide is its inclusion of real-life stories. These testimonies are presented with care and sensitivity, not to shock, but to humanize a crisis often reduced to statistics.

Among those featured is Aguska Mnich, also known as Aguska Free, a multiple-time world champion in freestyle football and a suicide attempt survivor. She shares her journey through some of the darkest moments of her life, including three suicide attempts, and reflects on how faith, professional support, and the discovery of freestyle football became lifesaving elements in her recovery.

The series also includes the story of Mark Tamaleaa, a professional speaker in suicide prevention whose family lost a son to suicide in 2022, and Efraín Velázquez, an Adventist pastor and professor from Puerto Rico who also lost a son to suicide in recent years. Their testimonies offer an honest portrayal of grief, resilience, and the long journey of healing—experiences shared by many families, yet rarely voiced publicly.

Another compelling story highlighted in the series is “Angels of the Bridge,” a volunteer-led initiative in Corrientes, Argentina. For years a group of young volunteers has maintained a continuous presence on one of the country’s largest bridges, a site previously associated with a high number of suicide deaths. Through vigilance, conversation, and timely intervention, the initiative has reportedly helped save more than 160 lives in a little more than two years.

Challenging Myths, Offering Hope

The objectives of Inside Suicide are both clear and intentional.

First, the series raises awareness, acknowledging suicide as a global crisis that affects all demographics—from affluent societies to developing regions, from youth to older adults.

Second, it encourages open and informed conversation. Schools, churches, families, and communities are invited to address suicide without fear, shame, or judgment. One episode is devoted entirely to dismantling common myths, misconceptions, and harmful theological assumptions that often prevent people from seeking help or offering support.

Third, and most important, Inside Suicide offers hope. While the series does not shy away from the darkness surrounding suicidal ideation and loss, it consistently points toward the possibility of healing, recovery, and life. Seeking professional help, relying on community, and trusting in God’s sustaining grace are presented not as weaknesses, but as acts of courage.

A Personal and Demanding Journey

For Adrián Duré, producer and director of the series, Inside Suicide has been one of the most challenging projects of his career.

“This has been one of the most difficult series I have ever produced,” Duré says. “Many of the questions raised forced me to revisit experiences from my own past—very dark moments I had lived myself. Editing the series required an enormous emotional investment.”

Duré notes that the creative process demanded vulnerability and dependence on God. “At times it felt like reopening a wound. But day by day God gave me the strength to continue.”

His hope is simple and deeply personal: “If through this series we can save even one life—or help a parent, a friend, or a church member step in at the right moment—then everything was worth it. The more we talk about suicide, the more lives we can save.”

An Invitation to the Church and Beyond

“Inside Suicide is not merely a documentary series to be watched; it is a call to listen more carefully, speak more honestly, and care more intentionally,” producers said. “It affirms that vulnerability is not something to fear, but a doorway to healing.”

They explained that “as a global faith community committed to wholeness and compassion, the Adventist Church has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to help break the silence surrounding suicide. Inside Suicide represents a meaningful step in that direction.”

The full docuseries is available at https://reminded.org/documentaries