In recognition of R U OK? Day - an annual day of significance held on the second Thursday of September in each year - Astor Cinema in Ararat will be screening a trio of free, newly-released films, with each presentation prefaced by a 10-minute informational session on mental health.
Grampians Community Health, Victoria Police, Astor Cinema and Ararat Rural City Council have partnered with R U OK? to present the special events on R U OK? Day, 12 September 2024.
The three films are horror-comedy Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (starring Jenna Ortega, Winona Rider and Michael Keaton), Australian feel-good doco A Horse Named Winx, and romantic drama It Ends With Us (starring Blake Lively; patrons are advised this film deals with themes of domestic violence).
R U OK? is a self-harm and suicide prevention charity that inspires Australian communities to look after each other by encouraging people to ask "Are you OK?"
The charity's work focuses on building the motivation, confidence and skills of the help-giver - the person who can have a meaningful conversation with someone who is struggling with life.
R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention efforts by encouraging people to invest more time in their personal relationships. It aims to help us build the capacity of informal support networks - friends, family and colleagues - to be alert to those around them, have a conversation if they identify signs of distress or difficulty, and connect someone to appropriate support, long before they're in crisis.
