PUBLICITY RELEASE
Friday, 9 September 2011
I Thought Everyone Felt Like That – Chris Banks On The Nutters Club
Filmmaker, musician and blogger Christopher Banks joins Mike King and Dr David Codyre tonight at 10.30pm to talk about
life as a gay man, his art and living with bipolar disorder.
Coming from a Catholic background and subjected to bullying at high school, Chris spent his twenties trying to come to
terms with his identity. Only when he was diagnosed as bipolar was he able to understand the depression he had grappled
with throughout his life. Today he uses his creativity as a way to share his insight on social issues and sexual
identity through documentaries and short films.
"When I made my first short film, I didn't realise until later that I had written all these things into it and it was
this weird form of unconscious therapy," says Chris.
Chris is a guy with natural story-telling ability, says series director Marcus Clayton.
"He's able to express the highs and lows of his journey in a really involving way, in a way that draws the viewer into
his private dilemmas and concerns. We hope this episode uncovers some truths to a wider public about labels and
attitudes that can't be picked-up from a short soundbite or interview grab."
Chris’ blog Bipolar Bear can be found at http://bipolarbear.co.nz/
Preview clips from this week’s episode can be found at http://www.youtube.com/topshelfnz1#p/a/u/0/dR0D0I425nc
ENDS