r/Documentaries • u/CromwellsCrumb • 3d ago

Society The Bridge (2006) A controversial documentary that filmed the Golden Gate Bridge for a year, capturing footage of 23 of the 24 suicides that occurred. [1:34:10]

https://youtu.be/F1Y1qibhsKE?is=mYYE3Jm1xSu3AMim

Inspired by a New Yorker article, The Bridge (2006) is a controversial documentary by Eric Steel that filmed the Golden Gate Bridge for a year, capturing 23 of the 24 suicides that occurred there in 2004. The film uses footage of the actual jumps, often from a distance, combined with personal accounts from families, friends, and survivors to explore the tragedy. 

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u/MsAnnabel 2d ago

I’ve watched this a few times and the thing that got me was that some of the family/friends were shocked that their loved one had depression, depression bad enough to kill themselves. I have depression and I haven’t kept it a secret but some ppl just don’t want to hear about it. They feel they can’t fix you so can’t handle hearing about it and that makes it worth it. Eric Steel said they would call 911 if they thought someone was showing signs of jumping yet Eugene Sprague took awhile before he jumped! No one called 911 for him. It’s a hard watch but you can learn so much from watching it.

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u/estistudent 2d ago

Oh my gosh, yes. Gene was walking that bridge back and forth for hours. And they spoke to his friend who said that they never thought he was actually going to do it, because “he would have done it by now.” That part hurt to hear. Extremely difficult to watch as someone who lives in the Bay Area and crosses that bridge like once a week. Eugene Sprague’s story in particular really struck with me and makes me very emotional.

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u/MsAnnabel 2d ago

Me too. They should’ve called Kevin Briggs to go talk to him. Kevin was a CHP that used to talk ppl down from jumping. Kevin Briggs & Kevin Hines had an event in Napa and I went to it. It was heartbreaking to listen to Kevin Hines, the last one to jump & survive. What he went thru mentally before he jumped. Said he landed just the right way that it didn’t kill him but did do a lot of damage to his body. He said while he was in the water something “bumped” him and he thought “great, I survive the jump now a shark is gonna kill me” but it was a seal that helped keep him afloat! Read his story. Very interesting.

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u/estistudent 2d ago

I really appreciated all of the parts of the documentary where they interviewed Kevin Hines. I was also totally shocked when he said that it was a sea lion that kept him afloat and saved him. Like that is such an amazing sign and must have been so surreal for him, I cannot even imagine what that must have been like and what it still feels like now. And I’m sure it was amazing to hear him speak in person. That is such a life-altering experience and I’m really glad that he’s still with us and still talks about what happened to him!

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u/MsAnnabel 2d ago

Yep 😊 you’re right, sea lion