ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Central Message

Mental illness has always been a major issue for many people, yet has also long been ignored or seen as taboo and embarrassing. This is especially apparently nowadays, with the spike in need for mental health resources in recent years and during the pandemic. I seek to change this. While I can’t change a whole culture of downplaying this important problem, for now I can try and spread awareness through my art.
To do this, I’ve chosen film as my medium. Movies are easy to relate to, and can offer a clear message. Past movies such as A Clockwork Orange have also often shed mental illness in a not great light, so I’d like to show a more accurate and likeable depiction (Kubrick). My short film centers around a young college girl with bipolar disorder: she struggles between highs and lows. This disability is often associated with being crazy and irrational, but I am going to set the facts straight. I want to show that people with mental illness are absolutely normal, and can find ways to work with their struggles and enjoy life.
Audience

Kids and young adults who have experienced any type of mental health issues should be able to relate to the main character, and those who haven’t will have a look inside their shoes. This age range includes most of my audience, and is a group that is struggling most with depression and anxiety. Young people are also the most impressionable to prevalent social issues. Anyone watching my movie will hopefully be prompted to feel less ashamed of their disabilities and reach out for help if they need it.

Literature
In developing my project, I’ve found inspiration from many different sources. In terms of getting an idea of how movies have portrayed mental illness, I viewed some such as Goodwill Hunting and A Beautiful Mind. I also drew from other short films, like Paola Makes a Wish by Zhannat Alshanova, that squeeze a whole plot into less than ten minutes. I’ve taken a few psychology courses that discuss a lot about mental and emotional disorders, which has given me a solid background in the subject matter. I've also done more specific research into bipolar disorder and its symptoms.

Methods
After researching through watching other movies, I had to learn how to do it myself. I learned the basics of scriptwriting, specifically writing characters with mental illness, and watched some editing tutorial videos (Yoerg). Now I’ve written an outline and script, assigned roles, filmed the scenes, and edited them.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to the Scholars staff, especially my advisor Gabi, and my roommate Elly, Anna, and Eshna for using their time to be my actors. And to my audience, thank you for reading this.