I have long been fascinated by what speech reveals and what it conceals. Social mores quietly impose limits on what can and cannot be said and the frank discussion of mental health challenges, despite recent media attention, remains one of the most persistent of taboos.

Yet this enduring reticence to talk openly and seek help has severe consequences. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of fifty and the rates continue to rise. While I was developing Grayson Vale, I was fortunate to speak with suicide survivors whose insights helped shape our depiction on screen. More than anything, my conversations with them affirmed the importance of speaking plainly and the potential harm of remaining silent.

This understanding lies at the heart of Grayson Vale. The initially evasive exchanges between Grayson and Simone gradually give way, over the course of their brief encounter, to the possibility of genuine connection.

This emotional constraint is mirrored in the colour palette which is limited for the most part to blue and yellow, representing Grayson’s melancholy and decay respectively. Only for Simone was this paradigm inverted with the sparing use of red and green which provides bolts of colour amid the muted hues.

While Grayson Vale engages with some difficult themes, the conclusion is a hopeful one which for me represents how light can be always found in the darkness.

— Adam Price