In this new hour-long documentary, BBC presenter Tara Mills explores the profound impact her brother Richard's death has had on her and her family, 15 years after he died by suicide.
In the film, Tara explains that suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK, and delves into the prevailing mental health crisis affecting many in Northern Ireland.
In 2000, Richard Mills broke into news photography with the Irish News. He then worked as a front-line photojournalist with The Times, spending time in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan capturing the plight of people living in the shadow of conflict and civil unrest. Richard died by suicide while on assignment in Zimbabwe.
Tara and nephew Finn, Richard’s son, share their deeply personal memories of Richard and travel 8,000 miles to Zimbabwe, to meet some of the people who spent time with him during his final days.
Back home, Tara travels across Northern Ireland to see first-hand the vital support local charities and community groups provide for those who are suffering in silence and for the families left behind by suicide.
Tara Mills says:
“People might ask why it has taken 15 years since Richard died to make this film and there are several reasons. It’s primarily about Finn and a wish to retrace Richard’s final steps, a journey of discovery to find out more about the dad he has virtually no memory of. It’s also about my children, they’re old enough now to be told what happened and I want them to know about their uncle.
"For my family, the confusion and disbelief can still stop us in our tracks. We hoped the people he worked with in Zimbabwe, who saw him the day he died, might give us some clues about the why.”
Tara Mills: Life After Loss was made for BBC Northern Ireland by Below The Radar and airs Wednesday 1 November, 10.40pm on BBC One NI and BBC iPlayer.
More information and access to some of the best mental health content from the BBC’s wide ranging collection across TV, radio and digital is available on the BBC’s dedicated online resource, BBC Headroom.