Mental support on movie sets increasingly provided

Zeller (left) with actor Hugh Jackman on the set of The Son. The production offered a programme that provided confidential virtual therapy sessions for its cast and crew. — Sony Pictures/TNS

In summer 2021, when producer Joanna Laurie was planning production of The Son, an upcoming drama from Oscar-winning writer and director Florian Zeller, she knew stress levels would be exponentially high for the cast and crew.

They had to contend with strict Covid-19 safety protocols and the movie’s difficult subject matter: suicide.