Using Comedy to Fight Mental Illness and Stigma: CBC Passionate Eye Documentary

Cracking Up is a life-affirming documentary about people with mental illness who embark on a quirky quest to become stand up comics. The film follows 11 courageous people who suffer from mental illness as they pursue a year of stand up comedy.

Part fun and part therapy, the course, entitled Stand Up For Mental Health is the brainchild of Vancouver counselor, stand-up comic, and author of The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead To Happiness and Success David Granirer. “It’s like ‘The Full Monty’ except people want us to keep our clothes on”, he says.

Doing stand-up comedy has had an amazing effect on the people in the course. For the first time in their lives, they have embraced the word "crazy," and learned to laugh at their mental illness–and their audiences are laughing right along with them. They have discovered a talent they never dreamt they had.

Airs nationally on August 30 at 9 p.m. On CBC’s Doc Zone.

For more information contact:
David Granirer, Founder
Stand Up For Mental Health–Using stand-up comedy to empower people with mental illness
3633 Triumph Street
Vancouver, BC V5K 1V4
Phone: 604-205-9242; Fax: 604-205-9243
Email: david@standupformentalhealth.com
Web: http://www.standupformentalhealth.com