New Short Film Collaboration

A Confronting Portrait of Heartbreak and Mental Collapse

A scene from Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down © Presidential Productions

Independent Australian production company Presidential Productions behind short-film project, Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down (2015), a psychologically intense and emotionally raw work that explores the emotional breakdown and the aftermath of a relationship’s collapse.

Based on an original written work by Alex Braun and independently produced and directed by James Cunningham, the film continues the company’s commitment to socially challenging, intimate storytelling. Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down is described as a confronting portrait of a man unraveling in the wake of heartbreak; a private emotional descent told through a visceral, confessional lens. The film examines themes of grief, sexual repression, shame, isolation and mental health, presenting a deeply personal narrative that strips away emotional filters and social performativity. With its unflinching tone, the project positions itself as one of the most emotionally uncompromising works to emerge from Presidential Productions to date.

Unlike traditional short-film productions, Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down was developed through an intensive audition and rehearsal process with character-driven exploration process between director and actor. The production leaned into a spontaneous, lived-in approach, allowing scenes to evolve organically from the emotional instincts of the performer. This approach resulted in a work that is deliberately confronting, intimate and, at times, unsettling. The film was shot on location in Melbourne, Australia.

Chicago-based actor Rome Bryant is filmed exploring his character through the film's development process, delivering a performance that carries the full psychological weight of the story. Bryant’s uninhibited portrayal navigates extremes of vulnerability and emotional volatility, charting a gradual disintegration that mirrors the internal fragmentation of the character. The performance is marked by physical and emotional exposure, committing fully to the director's vision and to the film’s exploration of shame, desire, fear and self-destruction.

At its core, Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down confronts the often-unspoken realities of male mental health, especially within the context of heartbreak and sexual repression. The film interrogates how men internalise emotional pain, suppress identity conflicts and self-censor vulnerability under social expectations of strength and control.

Rather than framing heartbreak as a temporary emotional setback, the film treats it as a destabilising psychological rupture. The story avoids sentimentality, choosing instead to present emotional collapse in an unfiltered, often uncomfortable way.

In a deliberate creative decision, Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down was filmed using a low-budget, standard HD digital format rather than high-end cinema cameras. The choice was intentional, designed to preserve an almost 'VHS-like' visual texture — a slightly harsh, unpolished image quality that mirrors the character’s psychological instability.

Diary of a Break-Up/Break-Down has screened at selected festivals and galleries, is not made available publicly. For more information visit presproductionsco.com