On March 26, CBC Gem’s streaming service will release a new digital short series called ‘Something Undone’ that hopes to accomplish something important: turning mental health struggles into art by addressing the stigma still associated with mental health in many racialized/ethnocultural communities.
Called “Something Undone”, the series will address the issue that mental health is still a taboo in many cultures where it’s often considered a “western concept” or met with deep social stigma. The idea of not wanting your family name to be “tarnished” is a common theme for many communities that can make people scared to ask for help, especially now when mental health distress is at an all-time high due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has plagued Canada and the rest of the world for over a year.
The series was co-written/produced by Michael Musi, a former Montrealer from a Middle Eastern background who is also an accomplished playwright and actor best known for playing “Terrence” on hit CBC TV sitcom Kim’s Convenience. “Something Undone” focusses on a character named Jo who goes home to settle her estranged mother’s estate, and then discovers a dark family secret: her mother suffered from schizophrenia. Jo then becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth. Then there’s Farid (Jo’s partner), who struggles with the guilt of not being able to understand Jo’s mental health distress. This subplot was weaved in by drawing from Musi’s own personal experience growing up part Middle Eastern in Montreal and having been a primary caregiver himself.
For information about “Something Undone”, go to www.cbc.ca.
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