Duncan Cowles, is an Award winning Scottish documentarian. His feature documentary film garnered a Special Mention at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival earlier this year.
Cowles is on a personal journey, to find out how to open up as a man, not only to himself but to those who love him the most – his Mum and Dad and girlfriend Mari. Following the pandemic, a lot of mainstream media attention towards the wellbeing of male mental health. The leading cause of death in men under the age of 35 remains suicide; and men of that age range frequently go missing upon reaching a point of intolerability.
Filming began during lockdown in 2020, when Duncan moved in with his parents, the filming forcing him to confront barriers of opening up. The idea behind the film is to interview liked-minded men of a similar ilk, who have been struggling with ongoing mental issues. Cowles is a very hospitable interviewer; considerate and non-judgmental because he is encountering the same difficulties as the person he is sat opposite. There is a naturalness to his style that is refreshing and honest.
Cowles also speaks to professionals who bring such interesting nuggets of research such as people who see a baby in a blue blanket are less likely to touch or comfort the child as opposed to a child wrapped in a pink blanket where the comfort is all-consuming. Therefore, from an early age, the mindset for young boys is to toughen up and not give to support to them in contrast to girls.
Cowles’ fascinating naturalness comes across in an interview with Ainslie Henderson, who made a film about him breaking down to two Martha Wainwright songs. A video that Henderson has never shown to many people, Cowles is only the third person to see it. Yet this release as expression still makes him feel inadequate but less so because he has shared it.
The most frightening moments of the film are the interviews with John, the Geordie, a man who has ongoing episodes and intentions of trying to kill himself. The pauses John exhibits are Pinter-esque, just sitting in his kitchen while he processes it in real time with Duncan (who does not rush the process). The ultimate message he gives to the filmmaker is, ‘do not keep it all in’, and the darkness will only get darker the longer you keep it in and away from the people you do not communicate to.
Cowles is a witty filmmaker, taking bold choices of self-reflection and self-effacing to himself and the filmmaking process – such as breaking the narrative to bring us a two minute yoga session of breathing. Or breaking the tone with his attempt to do the trailer for the film, then cutting to him cleaning up bird poo on his window.
Nuanced and delicate, bordering on deliberate, in having a camera upon him whilst interviewing. Yet Cowles reminds us that the art of a good interview(er) is to be as open as the subject the may be questioning but be able to process the information provided and project it upon the interviewer themselves.
There is a levity ongoing throughout the film, Duncan smiles his way through the process and yet there is a happy ending to the film which is one of real joy and fulfilment, partly because Cowles has become a willing companion for us to join upon his journey of therapy and self-discovery.
Silent Men will be released in UK Cinemas From 19th November