The Bridge

I was reading an article the other night about how San Francisco officials are planning to install suicide nets on the Golden Gate Bridge, to prevent jumpers from leaping to their deaths. It was then that I recalled that a documentary was made a few years back about the Golden Gate suicide rate, titled The Bridge... a film I had wanted to see at the time, but didn't have the opportunity. Low and behold, it is on youtube, in ten parts.

Not exactly sure how I feel about this movie. Given the content, it is tastefully made. While there is video of numerous suicides, there is no sappiness or sterility... and doesn't really attempt to shock the audience. There are ethical issues I have with the making of this film. Refusal to disclose to the city why they wanted to film the bridge (in getting permits to set up cameras at various locations), failure to notify the authorities when the camera crew honed in on potential jumpers, failure to disclose to the family and friends interviewed that the crew had actual footage of the suicides, etc.

But anyway... given that this is San Fran and all, there is a stipulation in the legislation that requires the nets only be put in place if studies show the nets will not have an adverse affect on the bird population. No surprise there...