Type of Proposal
Film/Media
Faculty
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Proposal
Society somehow still looks upon mental illness as a form of madness. It stigmatizes how mental illness prevents people from advocating for themselves and prevents them from getting the resources they need. We wanted to create a voice for those with mental illness through a short film. We want to tell a story that continuously opens conversations and creates a safe environment to get help. The story takes place on a journey through Catherine’s day to day life. Catherine is an ordinary girl, but she is suffocating from the constant pressure of a secret that’s eating her away. As seen through various flashbacks through her painful experiences, we see a breaking point that scares not only herself, but her friends and family as well. Catherine is batting an illness she cannot control or explain. At the end of the film, through the audience’s perspective, they find out the pain and anxiety that is haunting Catherine. The ending shows Catherine, now in her bedroom, three weeks later; she is visibly ill, through her frail physical appearance. The film then starts to explain Canadian statistics in anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia (the three mental illnesses she has been battling since the age of 14). She explains what it feels like to endure these illnesses, and the film ends with her just wanting to breathe as she gasps for air. The goal of our short film is to let the audience understand that mental illness happens so often. It can trigger anyone with traumatic past events. This film is needed because in this day and age, many films are lacking the authenticity of telling raw stories of mental illness. Resources are there, but access to them is so often discouraged by others. We want to tell those who are affected that it is okay, and we are here for you!
Start Date
23-3-2018 12:40 PM
End Date
23-3-2018 2:00 PM
Location
Alumni Auditorium A
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Asphyxiation Labyrinth
Alumni Auditorium A
Society somehow still looks upon mental illness as a form of madness. It stigmatizes how mental illness prevents people from advocating for themselves and prevents them from getting the resources they need. We wanted to create a voice for those with mental illness through a short film. We want to tell a story that continuously opens conversations and creates a safe environment to get help. The story takes place on a journey through Catherine’s day to day life. Catherine is an ordinary girl, but she is suffocating from the constant pressure of a secret that’s eating her away. As seen through various flashbacks through her painful experiences, we see a breaking point that scares not only herself, but her friends and family as well. Catherine is batting an illness she cannot control or explain. At the end of the film, through the audience’s perspective, they find out the pain and anxiety that is haunting Catherine. The ending shows Catherine, now in her bedroom, three weeks later; she is visibly ill, through her frail physical appearance. The film then starts to explain Canadian statistics in anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia (the three mental illnesses she has been battling since the age of 14). She explains what it feels like to endure these illnesses, and the film ends with her just wanting to breathe as she gasps for air. The goal of our short film is to let the audience understand that mental illness happens so often. It can trigger anyone with traumatic past events. This film is needed because in this day and age, many films are lacking the authenticity of telling raw stories of mental illness. Resources are there, but access to them is so often discouraged by others. We want to tell those who are affected that it is okay, and we are here for you!