The Stranger on the Bridge
{{Short description|2015 documentary film}}
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{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
The Stranger on the Bridge is a 2015 documentary film, produced and directed by Sam Forsdike and Richard Bentley of Postcard Productions. It was shown on Channel 4 on 4 May 2014.
It is an adaptation of a promotional film made in 2014 for the charity Rethink Mental Illness called Finding Mike.
Synopsis
The documentary follows the then 26-year-old Jonny Benjamin as he tries to find the man who dissuaded him from taking his own life by jumping from Waterloo Bridge in London in 2008. Benjamin had nicknamed the man 'Mike', since he was not able to remember his actual name.
Reception
The reception for Stranger on the Bridge was largely positive receiving reviews in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent.{{cite news|last1=Ferguson|first1=Euan|title=The week in TV: The C Word, The Stranger on the Bridge, No Offence, Shark, BBC4 Goes Slow|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/may/10/the-c-word-stranger-on-the-bridge-no-offence-shark-bbc4-goes-slow|accessdate=25 Nov 2016|work=The Guardian|date=10 May 2015}}{{cite web|title=The Stranger on the Bridge, review: a moving reunion and tale of mental health|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11582011/The-Stranger-on-the-Bridge-jonny-benjamin-review.html|website=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cite web|title=The Stranger on the Bridge, Channel 4 - TV review: Jonny Benjamin|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-stranger-on-the-bridge-channel-4-tv-review-jonny-benjamin-looked-for-the-stranger-who-saved-his-10224246.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-stranger-on-the-bridge-channel-4-tv-review-jonny-benjamin-looked-for-the-stranger-who-saved-his-10224246.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|date=4 May 2015}}
The Radio Times called it a "remarkable, joyous, painful and ultimately life-affirming film{{cite web|last1=Graham|first1=Alison|title=The Stranger on the Bridge - what time is it on TV? Episode 0 Series 0 cast list and preview.|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/dkqjfg/the-stranger-on-the-bridge|website=RadioTimes|accessdate=25 Nov 2016}}".
The combination of the documentary and preceding campaign is estimated to have reached 319 million{{cite news|last1=Howse|first1=Christopher|title=The Stranger on the Bridge, review: a moving reunion and tale of mental health|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11582011/The-Stranger-on-the-Bridge-jonny-benjamin-review.html|accessdate=25 November 2016|work=Telegraph.co.uk}} people worldwide.
Adaptations
The story of Benjamin's search was rumoured to be considered for a Hollywood film.{{cite news|last1=Sherwin|first1=Adam|title=Finding Mike might be made into a Hollywood film|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/finding-mike-film-real-life-story-of-jonny-benjamins-search-for-stranger-who-stopped-him-committing-10179678.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/finding-mike-film-real-life-story-of-jonny-benjamins-search-for-stranger-who-stopped-him-committing-10179678.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=25 Nov 2016|work=The Independent|date=15 April 2015}} The rights have also been acquired by Pan Macmillan's wellness and lifestyle imprint Bluebird as part of a two-book deal.{{cite news|last1=Cowdrey|first1=Katherine|title=Bluebird acquires Benjamin's memoir The Stranger on the Bridge {{!}} The Bookseller|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/bluebird-acquires-jonny-benjamins-memoir-stranger-bridge-388276|accessdate=25 Nov 2016|work=www.thebookseller.com}}
Awards
- Win - Best Single Documentary - Televisual Bulldog Awards{{cite web|title=Televisual|url=http://www.televisual.com/bulldogs/132/documentarysingle.html|website=www.televisual.com}}
- Nominated - Best Newcomer Award Sam Forsdike - The Grierson Trust British Documentary Award{{cite web|title=The Grierson Trust - Nominations|url=http://www.griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/past-awards/2015/nominations/|website=www.griersontrust.org}}
- Nominated - Documentary Awards - The Grierson Trust British Documentary Award{{cite web|title=The Grierson Trust - Nominations|url=http://www.griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/past-awards/2015/nominations/|website=www.griersontrust.org}}
- Nominated - Breakthrough Award - Behind the Screen - Royal Televisual Society{{cite web|title=RTS Programme Awards 2016 {{!}} Royal Television Society|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2016|website=rts.org.uk}}
References
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Category:Channel 4 documentaries
Category:2010s biographical films
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