REVIEW - Bake It Till You Make It (Directed by Jason Taglieri)

Bake It Till You Make It is the debut documentary feature of first-time filmmaker, Jason Taglieri. It is an inspiring and uplifting biographic story which focuses on Dayna Altman in her lived experience of mental health problems, and her journey towards recovery through therapy and a community-based organisation which she runs, of the same name as the movie; an organisation which is "dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness, normalizing mental health conversation and promoting authentic healing and recovery".

Narrated by Thea Touchton (Shrinking, The Big Noir, It's Cassie, Cedar Sequoia International, Spider-Man: No Way Home). A multitude of talking heads help to bring the viewer closer to understanding Altman, her story, and her organisation; from her parents and syblings, to her friends and therapists, there are so many thoughtful contributors here, and it is clear that Taglieri has really attempted to do justice, not only to Altman and her story, but also to the bigger picture - reducing the stigma of mental illness and for creating a film which fosters conditions ripe for open conversation.

With a long career spanning many years in the creative arts, and specialising in photography with his company New Vintage Media Co, Taglieri clearly has talent and transferable knowledge which has been advantageous here as a novice filmmaker, with good attention to basic principles throughout.

The interviews which collectively form this film are generally very insightful, and with good attention to presentation, there is little to detract from or undermine the testimony of those on screen. Through these talking heads, and the different chapters of the documentary, viewers are given a real chance to understand Altman, her journey and her organisation - and crucially, her story is an inspiring one. The multitude of people attesting to the positive impact of her work is incredible, and will no doubt will serve to offer hope to others experiencing similar mental health problems, as well as inspiration. Her work shows that recovery is a real possibility, and for many people living with eating disorders, role-models like Altman are few and far between, especially when seeking the silver lining to the dark cloud of eating disorders. Rarely are personal stories of this nature so uplifting.

There are many aspects of this film which demonstrate the inherent aims of Altman's work; from the friendly tones of those speaking, to the gentle and calming music used carefully in the sound design, to the embedded subtitles - all of which in sum help to create a pleasant, inclusive, encouraging and non-threatening stage from which to discuss some very emotive, challenging and difficult topics. Guiding the viewer through her own lived experiences, Altman communicates her personal revelations on the road to recovery with humour and dignity, and the way the documentary is delivered in clearly defined chapters makes this easy to watch and follow, despite dealing with subject matters which can be traumatic and difficult for obvious reasons.

Viewers are also introduced to Dr. Gary Warstadt, a specialist in a new emergent therapy for depression called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (or TMS). Altman explains her reasons for wanting to try this new therapy, as well as her anxieties about doing so, but ultimately, once again, she makes use of her own experiences as a means of showing others that finding an open-mind and a willingness to try something different or new, can be pivotal in the process of recovery.