The Joy of Life2005

Voiceover:
There have been many philosophical and poetic speculations about the unique lure of the Golden Gate Bridge as a suicide spot. Most evoke the image of the bridge as a stepping off point for disillusioned individuals who came West to California looking for something they never found. There are endless attempts to analyze statistics, identify trends, draw conclusions. Everyone wants to understand, explain, find a reason, dwell on the gruesome details. The most gruesome detail of all is that more than 1300 people have ended their lives by jumping off this monumental structure. My friend Mark was one of them. In the decade since Mark's death I have alternately avoided the bridge and felt compelled to discover more about it.