THIRD DEGREE BURNOUT

Director -Nivi Jaswal, Darren Suffolk

Nivi Jaswal - Lead Director

Nivi is an Indian-American Writer, Director, and Producer whose work explores the intersection of personal and planetary health. Inspired by early experiences witnessing chronic illness and mental health struggles in her family, and later by the tragic loss of her father to COVID-19, Nivi brings a deeply personal lens to her creative and advocacy work.

Before transitioning to filmmaking, Nivi built an accomplished career in brand management, consumer insights, and socially driven marketing. With multicultural experience across global markets during her tenure with organizations like Unilever, Boston Scientific, and WPP, she developed expertise in using brand-led behavior change to drive large-scale impact. Her work on Unilever’s Social Mission program with the UN ignited her passion for designing culture-sensitive, socially responsible business and communication campaign models.

In 2020, Nivi founded The Virsa Foundation and its flagship research program, JIVINITI, to connect public and planetary health through research, advocacy, and creative storytelling. She has spearheaded initiatives addressing nutritional inequities and lifestyle interventions, leveraging her knowledge of plant-based nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine—a framework central to her film.
Her directorial debut, Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide, is a groundbreaking feature-length documentary that integrates several key public and planetary health frameworks with evidence-based storytelling. The film combines compelling personal narratives, expert insights, and rigorous research to examine the systemic causes of burnout - both human and that endured by our planet - and propose hopeful, actionable solutions.

Through her work, Nivi aims to inspire a shift toward resilience, equity, and sustainability, drawing on her lived experiences, global perspective, and commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration.

Darren Suffolk - Creative Director & Film Director

Darren Suffolk is a visionary Creative Director and Film Director based in the U.K., recognized for his commitment to combining executional excellence with meaningful subject matter. With over two decades of experience at the helm of creative production, Darren has honed his ability to craft compelling narratives that captivate audiences and forge lasting emotional connections.

Darren's journey began as a Television Director, where his talent for storytelling quickly became apparent. His transition into the commercial world marked the start of a successful career leading creative initiatives across agencies and media houses. Notably, he served as Creative Director of Commercial Film at The Telegraph Media Group and now leads as Creative Director for Video Services at Superside, where he continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Darren has collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic brands and organizations, including BBC, Formula 1, Steinway & Sons, Porsche, The RFU, IBM, EDF Energy, and BMW, to name a few. His exceptional leadership and creative acumen have also earned him the honour of serving as a Juror for the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards, a testament to his standing as a respected figure in the global creative community.

A master storyteller, Darren thrives at the intersection of creativity and story, seamlessly blending narrative depth with visual artistry. His passion for making complex ideas accessible is evident in his work in education and documentary filmmaking. Darren directed and wrote "Beyond Design Basis", an acclaimed commercial documentary that explores the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and its impact on the British nuclear power landscape. Through his lens, dense and intricate subject matter becomes not just digestible, but profoundly engaging.

This unique ability to simplify complexity was further demonstrated in his work with the BBC, where he wrote and directed several educational series. Among these, "Higher Physics" stands out, using intricate CGI graphics and expert contributors to unravel atomic principles for educational audiences. Darren’s meticulous attention to detail and his talent for presenting technical information through compelling visual storytelling have made his work both impactful and enduring.

Whether directing thought-provoking films, crafting emotive branded content, or leading large-scale creative teams, Darren’s driving force remains the same: the human story at the heart of the project. He believes it is the story that allows audiences to truly connect, leaving a lasting impression long after the final frame.

Darren’s career reflects not only his creativity but also his deep understanding of the human need for connection through storytelling—making him a director whose work consistently resonates, inspires, and moves audiences.

Director Statement

Burnout has defined so many moments of my life. My own experience began in the corporate world, where I relentlessly pursued success while neglecting my health. A series of diagnoses forced me to confront the toll this took on my body and mind. As I transitioned into nonprofit work, seeking a more purposeful path, the world changed overnight. The global pandemic not only upended life as we knew it—it took my father. His tragic loss to COVID-19 plunged me into complicated grief and triggered a relapse of burnout, this time in ways I had never experienced before.

The biggest insight in my own healing was learning about the role of human activity—particularly our global food systems—in driving not only personal burnout but also the overwhelming burnout of our planet. The same systems that deplete our physical and mental health contribute to climate displacement caused by ever-intensifying flash floods, wildfires, droughts, heat waves, cold snaps, hurricanes, and tornadoes. These environmental crises, in turn, fuel mental health struggles, chronic illnesses, and the rising risk of future pandemics. One might wonder: How can we, as individuals and communities, help alleviate this interconnected crisis while reducing our own suffering?

Third Degree Burnout - A Survivor’s Guide is an educational documentary film that seeks to unpack this tangled web. It brings together 25 contributors, including myself—primarily women and persons of color—whose diverse expertise illuminates the many dimensions of burnout. While only a few shared their personal burnout stories, all contributed vital insights into public health, environmental science, and mental well-being. The film also features two young actors who bring key educational moments to life with levity and poignancy. At the heart of the narrative is our narrator, the renowned broadcast meteorologist and atmospheric scientist John Morales. While John’s climate anxiety is well-documented in public conversations, his role in the film is as a guiding voice, lending gravitas and clarity to the interconnected crises we explore.

Rather than offering a prescriptive roadmap, this film empowers viewers with agency. By highlighting bright examples of how public health crises and planetary burnout are being addressed, Third Degree Burnout inspires hope and action. It reveals how understanding the connections between our systems, our choices, and their impacts can help us navigate these challenges with resilience and clarity.

For me, this documentary is not just a film; it is a labor of healing, growth, and hope. It’s a call to action—to challenge the systems that exhaust us, to rethink how we live and consume, and to find meaning and purpose in the shared human experience. I created this film to honor my father, confront my own burnout, and extend a hand to anyone searching for clarity and empowerment amidst these difficult times.

Nivi Jaswal
Lead Director
Third Degree Burnout - A Survivor’s Guide