BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT AWARD WINNER SCREENINGS

Mental: Diagnosis and The Mental Illness Experience

Mental is an exploration of mental illness experience as it compares to the construct of mental illness diagnosis. The film follows Hannah, a dynamic college senior, as she navigates her five diagnosed mental illnesses at Brandeis University. Hannah’s journey with her past, her environment, and her everyday struggles offers an intimate look at her psychology, and challenges the notion that complex mental illnesses can be reduced to descriptions found in a controversial guidebook. The film’s artistic cinematography captures the subtleties of Hannah’s illness experience, and paints an emotional picture of what it means to live with mental illness. 

 Hannah’s story is contextualized by interviews with two experts in the field. Set against a black background, the interviews critique the psychiatric diagnostic system, despite its ability to validate people experiencing mental illness. They discuss the diagnostic system’s rudimentary understanding of mental illness, and the public’s reluctance to criticize or question this system. The film closes with a powerful scene of Hannah performing with her a cappella group, which plays an incredibly therapeutic role in her journey. This final scene encourages viewers to open their minds to understandings of mental illness that go beyond our primitive diagnostic system, and make room for less conventional ways of healing mental illness. 

Its A Good Day

In March when quarantine started I was without a job and my mind left anxious and worrisome. I needed an outlet to channel my fears and anxiety. With just my phone, I began documenting each day with the simple, silly and poetic moments then edited it down to the day’s One minute of peace. Others outside our family and friends began to embrace our quirky & odd way of living, so we kept filming and sharing. The results became somewhat of a visual diary of our time in quarantine as we tried to search for the good, and expect the unexpected in every single day

We: The Broken Cogs In The Machine

In this time of rising fascism, what is the thought of young leftist art practitioners? Do they succeed? We also tried to find the answer through some young artists that can art be only practiced for art's sake or not.