Sonoma State Star

Issue date: 10/18/06 Section: Entertainment

Courtesy //Apple.com

The Golden Gate Bridge is something that most Californians take for granted, especially those of use who reside in the Greater Bay Area. We appreciate it's beauty, but for the most part it is just part of getting to and from the City, or something you show friends visiting you from out of town. For the full Golden Gate Experience, you can walk, bike, or drive across the bridge itself, admire it from Vista Points on both the Marin and San Francisco sides, or even pass in its shadow on the Bay by taking the Larkspur Ferry.
There is, however, a darker side to the landmark. Since it's opening as an engineering marvel in 1937, there have been approximately 1,300 attempted suicides by jumping from the bridge's walkways. Eric Steel's controversial documentary "The Bridge" addresses this issue in a very unconventional way.
"The Bridge" focuses on the deaths of 19 men and women, whose deaths were caught by Steel's cameras. The family and friends of some are interviewed, trying to understand why each individual would want to end their life in such a way. Steel reportedly had more than 100 hours of filmed interviews recounting battles with depression, substance abuse, mental illness, and many other factors that drove each person to take their life. Along with the struggle of loved ones trying to find some solace and closure to such an abrupt ending of their lives, Steel explores the draw the Golden Gate has on those wanting to commit suicide.
The subject hits very close to home to many who live in Sonoma County. In December of 2001, a student from Santa Rosa High School took a taxi cab to the bridge and ended her life, after apparently reading in a book that the "Golden Gate Bridge is to suicides what Niagara Falls is to honeymooners."
The documentary is not the first film to address the issue of suicide on the Golden Gate. In fact, it was even joked about in "The Love Bug" when Herbie attempted to jump. Much of the controversy surrounding Steel's documentary is the way in which it was filmed.
In 2005, KTVU News reported that Steel's initial permit was to film the bridge for footage to be included on a documentary that focused on the "grandeur of the monument," and that the bridge authorities were only notified of the true point of the film after the permit expired in December of 2004.
Steel said the deception was necessary. Not even family members he interviewed were aware of the suicide footage. Steel was afraid that if people knew he was filming, it would encourage them to hurry and end their life with the hope of being recorded. "I wanted to avoid that at all costs. There was no other motivation whatsoever,'' he told the San Francisco Chronicle. His camera crews were also trained in suicide prevention, and while they did film people jumping, they called proper authorities every time someone looked like they were going to jump.
When the truth of his subject matter became public knowledge, there was a renewed interest in putting a suicide barrier on the bridge. It has been opposed in the past, and put on ballot measures for San Franciscans to vote on. The SF Chronicle ran a seven-part series last November highlighting history and current debates on the issue, which remains passionately argued but undecided.
"The Bridge" has won acclaim at both the Tribeca Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival. Though Steel initially stated he had no intention of releasing the film for distribution, the documentary is going into a limited release on Oct. 27. The film, while deeply moving, is obviously not for everyone. If you wish to preview some of the content, a trailer is widely available online, easily accessible at both www.tribecafilmfestival.org and www.apple.com.

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