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He Named His Directional Debut After His Own Diagnosis — Cole Sylla on Mental Illness, Anger as Armor & The Camera That Saved Him.

He Named His Directional Debut After His Own Diagnosis — Cole Sylla on Mental Illness, Anger as Armor & The Camera That Saved Him.

59:56
He Named His Directional Debut After His Own Diagnosis — Cole Sylla on Mental Illness, Anger as Armor & The Camera That Saved Him.
EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONS with Amin Mombani
0:00 59:56

His directorial debut is named after a diagnostic code. It'shis own.

 

Cole Sylla is a writer and documentary producer whose workcenters on mental health. In this conversation: the bipolar II diagnosis behind his directorial debut "f31.9," anger as a way of pushing past fear, and the script that got him to HBO and Showtime.


🎙️ In this episode:

- Why "f31.9" — the diagnostic code for bipolar II disorder — became the title of his directorial debut

- How anger became his way of pushing past fear, and what itcost him in an HBO pitch meeting

- The camera as a source of safety since childhood — and howit let him "control the narrative"

- Why his script "Porter" — about a civil rights attorney secretly battling mental illness — became the one that got him to HBOand Showtime

- What he'd say to someone documenting everything exceptwhat's happening inside them

 

💬 "I don't need permission." — Cole

💬 "I'm always preaching to an audience of one." — Cole

💬 "Cole picked up a camera instead of picking up the phone." — Amin Mombani

 

⏱️Timestamps:

00:01 Cold open

01:43 Getting into screenwriting almost by accident

07:03 Anger as a coping mechanism

10:46 Growing up between two faiths

14:35 Coming to the US — early trauma

21:45 His college roommate's death

36:20 "Where I'm From with Brent Johnstone"

42:01 f31.9 — the diagnosis behind his directorial debut

45:29 The script that got him to HBO and Showtime

57:16 Wildcard: terrible at basketball

 

🔗 Connect with Cole:

Website: ColiSylla.com

 

🔗 Listen/watch everywhere:

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/033CGyVtUGh2KFJ0MJypEZ?si=4049b4af670847d3

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-conversations-with-amin-mombani/id6782858287

All platforms: https://aminmombani.podview.com


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