The Most Personal Thing I’ve Ever Ben Part Of

This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben does something completely different.For the first time ever, Ben is sharing the audio/video from "I",  a documentary he created nearly 10 years ago while living in Los Angeles. The film premiered at the Twin Cities Film Festival with three sold out screenings and became one of the most meaningful projects he’s ever worked on.  The documentary explores identity, trauma, addiction, grief, self-love, religion, sexuality, mental health, and survival through deeply personal interviews with people from all different walks of life.The unique concept behind the project? Throughout the interviews, viewers only see the subjects’ eyes — highlighting raw emotion, vulnerability, and humanity before finally revealing the full person behind each story.  This emotional and powerful episode features stories about:addiction and recoverysuicide and griefbeing transgenderdrag and identitylosing childrenbody image strugglesfamily abandonmentreligion and faithsurviving traumaself acceptanceresilience and healingBen also reflects on creating the documentary while living in LA, why the project mattered so much to him, and how revisiting it 10 years later still impacts him today.  If you are listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, you can now watch the full documentary thanks to new video podcast support.  This episode is emotional, inspiring, heartbreaking, hopeful, and a reminder that every single person is carrying a story you may never fully see on the surface.In this episode:Ben shares his documentary I for the first time on the podcast  The emotional concept behind filming only people’s eyes  Stories of addiction, overdose, and recovery  Conversations about being transgender and drag identity  Losing children, suicide, grief, and resilience  Body image struggles and self acceptance  Why trauma can sometimes lead to purpose and healing  The message that everyone deserves compassion and understanding  This episode contains discussions of suicide, addiction, overdose, grief, mental health struggles, and trauma that may be difficult for some listeners. Please listen with care and prioritize your well-being.If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support 24/7.🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell.📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com