Last year for World Suicide Prevention Day, Albert’s film Welcome to the World was one of five films selected by a jury and a team of experts in psychology and psychiatry for Agarra la vida (Grab Life) in Spain, a short film festival with a mission to prevent suicide and combat its stigma.
The screening of Welcome to the World was so successful that it will now be permanently streaming here indefinitely for Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope).
World Suicide Prevention Day is an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). Observed on September 10th, every year, World Suicide Prevention Day provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.
Agarra la vida (Grab Life) is presented in association with Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope). Founded in 1971, Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope) is an NGO with 29 centers in Spain for crisis intervention and the promotion of social-emotional health.
Welcome to the World is a daring film about a troubled man who records a video message for his pregnant sister. Drawing its power and immediacy from its first-person, confessional style, the film presents, in one continuous shot, the journey of one man’s awakening from isolation back to humanity. The film stars Albert and is directed by Albert and Anthony Grasso.
Richard Propes (The Independent Critic) gives it four stars and writes:
“RIVETING… CHAN’S PERFORMANCE IS DEEPLY MOVING… LINGERS IN YOUR BRAIN LONG AFTER THE CLOSING CREDITS”
Kirk Fernwood (One Film Fan) praises the film as:
“INTELLIGENT, INVENTIVE, AND INSPIRED… CHAN DOES A FANTASTIC JOB… DRAWING YOU IN WITH EVERY WORD… THE FINALE IS A STROKE OF CREATIVE BRILLIANCE AND ARTISTRY”
Max White (OC Movie Reviews) raves:
“CHAN GIVES A GRIPPING, HEARTFELT AND SINCERE PERFORMANCE WHICH PLUNGES YOU INTO THE MURKY WATERS OF MODERN HUMANITY AND MASCULINITY… SQUEEZES SO MUCH RAW EMOTION INTO A SINGLE SHOT”
And Rachel Pullen (UK Film Review) writes:
“LEADING MAN ALBERT M. CHAN… PLAYS AN EMOTIONALLY RAW MAN WITH A GRACE AND EASE THAT IS OFTEN ONLY SEEN WITHIN SOME OF THE MOST HIGH END ACTORS… PACKS A HUGE PUNCH… TO CREATE SUCH AN IMPACT ON A VIEWER IN ONLY SEVEN MINUTES WITH JUST ONE MAN, A SCRIPT AND A CAMERA CERTAINLY SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE SKILLS THAT CHAN HAS AS A DIRECTOR, WRITER AND PERFORMER.”