Watch Taketh, the new short film about postnatal depression backed by MIND

A new short filming starring Top Boy actor Nicholas Pinnock highlighting post-natal depression has been released with the backing of mental health charity MIND.

Based on a true story, Taketh tells the story of a family’s experience of depression and grief following the traumatic birth of their child.

The short film – seen above in full – stars MIND ambassador Nicholas Pinnock as David, the husband of Sarah, who is dealing with postnatal depression.

Pinnock played Leon in London drama Top Boy and starred as Frank Sutter in Sky Atlantic psychological thriller Fortitude.

He said: “Taketh is an accurate representation of postnatal depression that doesn’t ram it down your throat. Dare I say it but it has a poeticness to it.

“It doesn’t avoid the subject matter but washes over it in a good and emphatic way, gently making you understand these are things that some people have to tackle on a daily basis."

A recent study by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (RCOG) found 81% of women experience a least one episode of a mental health problem during or after their pregnancy.

Director Jonny Kight said: “Taketh can give a voice to all those women suffering in silence. To those who feel alone and who don’t know to whom to turn for help.

“We hope it sparks the necessary discussion to get the subject of postnatal depression further out into the open, to de-stigmatize it and to help those who are affected to be given the support they so desperately need to cope and ultimately get better.”

Written by Isley Lynn, the short film has won support from mental health charity MIND for tackling the tough stigma around postnatal depression.

Jenni Regen, from MIND, explained: “We welcome the release of Taketh – we know that when done well, dramatic portrayals of mental health problems can go a long way to help shape attitudes as well as encourage people to seek help.

“Films like this, on rarely talked about issues, help to educate on what it is actually like to be diagnosed with an illness like depression.”

For more information on Postnatal Depression and advice/support, visit www.mind.org.uk or contact the charity by Text at 86463 or Tel. 0300 123 3393 – lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays).