Keeping Hope

The Kimberley region serves as both the stunning visual setting and the thematic heart of 'Keeping Hope'. While celebrated for its natural beauty, the film reveals the underlying pain and distress within this landscape, particularly the critical issue of youth suicide among First Nations men. The region’s duality is central to the film's narrative.

'Keeping Hope' is a documentary film. It follows actor and Nyikina man Coles Smith as he embarks on a personal investigation into the critical issue of suicide among young First Nations men in the Kimberley. The film draws on his own experiences and emotional connection to the subject matter.

Coles Smith's motivation stems from a deep personal connection to the issue. Growing up in the Kimberley, he witnessed firsthand the beauty of the region, but also the pervasive sorrow. The alarmingly high suicide rate among young First Nations men, tragically highlighted by the loss of his own best friend in his twenties, compelled him to undertake this search for answers and hope.

The film is set against the backdrop of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. This area is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, but 'Keeping Hope' unearths the profound heartache and difficult realities that lie beneath the surface of this picturesque landscape, particularly concerning the well-being of its First Nations communities.

Coles Smith is an actor and a Nyikina man who is central to 'Keeping Hope'. The film documents his intensely personal quest to understand the alarming suicide rates affecting young First Nations men in his native Kimberley. His own lived experience, including the tragic loss of his best friend, fuels his search for answers and potential solutions, making the documentary a deeply personal undertaking.

'Keeping Hope' delves into the deeply personal journey of actor and Nyikina man, Coles Smith, as he confronts the devastatingly high rates of suicide among young First Nations men in the Kimberley region. It's a profound exploration of grief, community, and the urgent search for understanding and solutions to a crisis that transcends mere statistics, impacting him directly through the loss of his best friend.