The bridge
(DVD)

Inspired by the article "Jumpers, " written by Tad Friend, initially published in New Yorker magazine.

Special features: Short feature on the making of "The Bridge" (19 min.); Message from Kevin Hines (1 min.); Theatrical trailer (3 min.); Previews (9 min.).

Director of photography, Peter McCandless ; editor, Sabine Krayenbühl ; music by Alex Heffes.

Commentators, Eric Geleynse, Chris Brown, Susan Ginwalla, Caroline Pressley, Rachel Marker, Tara Harrell, Lyle Smith, Dave Williams, Christina Koelling, the Figueroa family, Wally and Mary Manikow, Matt and Jen Rossi, Steve Meronek, Keith Glenn, Richard Waters, Kevin Hines, Pat Hines, Gordon Smith, Shelley Albar, Ginny Matthews.

Originally produced as an American documentary in 2005.

"In 2004, 24 people jumped to their deaths from the Golden Gate Bridge. More people have chosen to end their lives at the Golden Gate Bridge than anywhere else in the world."--End titles. What makes the suicides at the bridge so unusual is that they take place in broad daylight, in front of people in a busy place - unlike most suicides, which are enacted in extreme privacy. Filmmaker Eric Steel and his crew spent 2004 filming the bridge during daylight hours from two locations, grappling with the ethical question of when to alert authorities, and their responsibilities as observers. The film features interviews with the families and friends of some of the victims that year, as well as one person who changed his mind. Offering a glimpse into one of the darkest, most impenetrable corners of the human mind, the film also interrogates society's ability to blithely ignore the grim realities of depression, mental illness, and drug abuse that underly so many suicides. These are only some of the factors discussed by the film, common to the twenty four people who died at the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, who are now linked together forever by a 4 second fall in an otherwise magically, mysteriously beautiful place.

MPAA Rating: Rated R for disturbing content involving suicide, and for some language.

DVD ; NTSC, region 1 ; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, 2.0 Dolby Digital stereo ; enhanced for 16x9 television.

In English with optional English (SDH) subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.