New film to spark conversations about migration, mental health

Jamaican film producer Michael Campbell, widely known as ‘Mikey T’, is gaining international recognition for his debut narrative film Beg Yuh A Call, which explores migration, loneliness and mental health within Jamaican families.

Starring Raul Blaze and Everaldo Creary, the film has resonated strongly with audiences at home and abroad, collecting multiple awards on the international festival circuit. Beyond its accolades, Campbell said the project emerged from a period of global disruption that forced many to sit with their emotions. “ Beg Yuh A Call came to me during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was experiencing an unusual level of isolation. Without the usual hustle and bustle of everyday life, many people were left alone with their thoughts, memories, and unresolved trauma,” he said.

At its core, the film reflects the lived experiences of countless Jamaican families split between home and the diaspora. Campbell said his own family helped shape the narrative’s emotional weight. “My mother is one of the heroes in my life. I often think about her, and many of my aunts and uncles, who left everything they knew to move to a new country and essentially start over… simply hoping to build a better life,” he said.

While migration is often framed as a tale of opportunity, Campbell argues that its emotional burden is seldom acknowledged. “We don’t talk enough, either in the diaspora or back home, about the emotional pressures that come with that journey. Migration can bring loneliness, fear, and an immense sense of responsibility.”

One of the film’s defining features is its visual language, which mirrors the physical and emotional distance between characters living across borders. “The film captures that distance through the atmosphere of each scene… the climate and lighting. Visually, you can sense that the characters are in two different places,” he said.

HUMAN CONNECTION

The concept crystallised further after Campbell encountered research on human connection. “After learning about a Harvard study suggesting that even an eight-minute conversation with a friend can help someone through a mental crisis, I went back to my notes and found the outline for this film… The timing felt right,” he said. He reached out to Raul Blaze to help develop the script and began assembling his production team.

Filming itself was not without challenges. A sudden downpour at the Kingston waterfront forced a rethink of one scene. “The rain suddenly poured down and we had to rework the scene… In the end, that challenge actually helped us find an even more beautiful visual way to tell the story.”

Authenticity, Campbell said, was paramount in depicting mental health and private struggle. His choice to collaborate with Blaze stemmed from admiration and personal connection. “One morning he opened up to me about his own experience with depression, and in that moment, I felt he was the right person to help shape the script and bring authenticity to the role.”

Everaldo “Pukupoo” Creary joined after a chance Instagram exchange. “We met the day before Hurricane Beryl… From that first meeting we connected on a mission that felt bigger than just making a movie,” Campbell said. The result, he added, “is everything I imagined, and more”.

For Campbell, storytelling remains central to how societies see themselves. “It’s important for films and stories to reflect real people living real lives… Movies and television acknowledge where we are, but they can also show us where we might end up.”

While action-driven “badman” films still have a place, he argues that the industry must also explore deeper social issues. Storytelling’s cultural reach, he notes, is evident even in music—citing J. Cole’s reference to ‘Uncle Phil’ in No Role Modelz as an example of how fictional characters can shape ideas of fatherhood and responsibility.

At its heart, Beg Yuh A Call aims to make mental-health conversations more accessible. “Mental illness isn’t only the person on the street or someone in extreme crisis… It exists across a wide range of struggles,” Campbell said. The film invites viewers to recognise themselves in the story and to seek help without shame. Audience reactions suggest it is succeeding: “Some have told me it brought them to tears and encouraged them to open up about their own struggles.”

Campbell sees filmmaking as a platform for meaningful dialogue. His earlier works — Jamaica Story and Real Jamaica Food — sparked discussions on national development, food security and sustainability. Following its international success, he plans to continue screening Beg Yuh A Call globally, particularly in schools, conferences and community spaces.

He is also developing two additional films to complete the Beg Yuh A Call series, alongside new projects including 6ix Love and Nuh Seh 40, which he hopes to produce with actor Paul Campbell. Like many independent filmmakers, he is focused on redefining creative projects as viable investments. “I want partners to see returns that extend beyond the films themselves,” he said.

The film has already collected a string of awards, including Best Caribbean Story, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Actor and Best Soundtrack at the 284 Excellence Film Festival in 2025. It also won the Mosaic of Care Award at the Mind of Mosaic Art Film Festival, received an Honourable Mention at the Skylark Film Festival, and earned the Voice of Change Award at the Films That Move Festival.

For Campbell, however, the film’s greatest triumph lies not in trophies but in the conversations it sparks. “If a film can move someone to reflect, to reach out, or to start a conversation that wasn’t happening before, then it has already done something meaningful,” he said.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com