Avatar: Fire and Ash includes a crisis lifeline in the end credits for an important reason.
James Cameron and 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash, also known as Avatar 3, opened in the United States this past weekend. The sequel to Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water sees Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Stephen Lang reprise their respective roles as Jake Sully, Neytiri, and Colonel Miles Quaritch.
Some audiences of Avatar have noticed that there’s a suicide prevention hotline in the closing credits of Avatar: Fire and Ash. While this confused some and led others to make jokes, there’s actually a significant narrative-related reason for its inclusion.
Why is there a crisis lifeline in the end credits of Avatar: Fire and Ash?
In the first half of Avatar: Fire and Ash, there’s a scene where Jake and Neytiri’s Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) briefly puts a gun to his head and considers pulling the trigger. This occurs shortly after he gets into a fight with his father, as both are still processing the death of Jake’s son/Lo’ak’s brother Neteyam (Jame Flatters).
Filmmakers are strongly encouraged to include suicide prevention hotline numbers or other resources whenever a project, be it a movie or a TV show, addresses this subject matter. According to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, “We do know that suicide on screen can cause significant distress, and can, in some cases, lead to vulnerable viewers becoming suicidal. If you’ve lost a loved one to suicide, struggle with suicidal ideation or have attempted suicide in the past, you deserve a heads up so you can make the best decision for yourself. If you need to give these shows or movies a miss, there’s no shame in that! Self-care means checking in with yourself about how you’re feeling and what you can cope with, and making the best decisions for you.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters.
Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.
