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DORIAN CATEGORY 6
Dr. Juliette M. Storr
DORIAN CATEGORY 6
DOCUMENTARY FILM TRAILER
Log Line: Hurricane Dorian hit the islands of the Bahamas in 2019 killing hundreds of people and destroying properties, in its wake mental health has become a key factor of disaster recovery and environmental sustainability.
Synopsis
Dorian: Category 6 is a film about disaster mental health. It features survivors of Hurricane Dorian and mental health experts. Survivors tell their stories in a before-during-after narrative structure. The film begins with images of the hurricane’s destruction and the voice of narrator explaining the increase in the intensity and destruction of hurricanes in the Bahamas over the last ten years.
Images of hurricane destruction are interwoven throughout the film narrative as survivors describe the immediate and long-term impact of the storm. These stories help us understand the short- and long-term effects of natural disasters on the human spirit and psyche and on the environment. Dorian: Category 6 analyzes a variety of facts and statistics related to hurricane disasters, climate change, and environmental sustainability to explain the urgency of mental health issues after disasters.
WHY DOES THIS STORY NEED TO BE TOLD?
Because climate change has become one of the top threats to humans—more predictions of storms like Dorian. Issues of sustainability and environment have become urgent concerns.
The goal of the film is to raise awareness of these issues and sensitize audiences to the emotional, physical, and mental pain of surviving and rebuilding after natural disasters. The impact of Covid 19 on rebuilding efforts is included as it adds layers of complexity to mental health and sustainability.
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FILM HISTORY
In 2019 Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas with gale force winds of over 200 mph. In the wake of that storm, the strongest to ever hit the Bahamas, disaster mental health emerged as one of the keys to a sustainable future. Based on stories she heard from many survivors of Hurricane Dorian, Juliette Storr, an award-winning documentary film maker, researcher, writer, scholar, decided to produce a film that focuses on disaster mental health to raise awareness of the mental health needs of survivors and identify resources to manage and sustain human environments at a time when climate change is leading climate experts to predict there will be more storms like Dorian in the future. Storr has partnered with her colleague, Dr. Tia Smith, to produce the film.
The film features experts from mental health, disaster preparedness and recovery, and climate change. Issues address include: social and economic loss, resilience and coping strategies, effectiveness of post-disaster intervention techniques, psychological adjustment of the victims (mental stability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression, sleep disorder, emotional distress, community adaption to the environment (preparedness and community empowerment), Covid 19 pandemic and its impact on recovery efforts and mental health, history of mental health in Bahamas (colonization, independence, current status), long term rehabilitation of affected population, building outreach and engagement through cooperative efforts, and sustainable development and climate change.