Mental Filmness Wrap-Up
One of my favorite film festivals comes to an end with the strongest lineup of films to date and this year, includes an interview featuring yours truly with one of the filmmakers! Congrats to all!
Mental Filmness preview and some reviews featured here in a previous post…
CIFF & Mental Filmness: Part 1
Everyone reading this should do their best to bookmark, follow and attend any viewings involved with Mental Filmness, a film festival that means a lot to me, started by the dedicated, multi-talented Sharon Gissy several years ago. I’ve written about it nearly every year for a reason: the films showcased throughout speak to me and my personal experience. Some of them are made by new and young filmmakers, others come from an older perspective; the showcase covers all walks of life from all over the world.
Mental Filmness is the first Chicago-based film festival highlighting works that portray a realistic and empathetic depiction of mental illness. The festival is dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness by sharing stories and promoting empathy for those who live with these chronic psychiatric conditions. For six years, the films presented challenge stereotypes and show different perspectives on mental illness, all while informing and enlightening the general public about mental health.
This year’s live screenings were a huge success especially since they involved local Chicago filmmakers from a wide range. I reviewed a few of those for Part One - mainly the ones that really had an impact on a personal level. There were a plethora of films within the short film showcases during the first two nights. The feature film finale was the surreal horror-drama Compression, a dreamlike psychological film about grief and distorted reality that I can’t recommend highly enough. Once it hits streaming, I will be talking about it even more.
I truly can’t thank Sharon enough for all her hard work in putting this project together each and every year. It’s a huge undertaking with a lot of time and energy poured into making sure it runs smoothly. From curating the selected films, to determining the order for the short film showcase and making sure it all comes together for the live event, she deserves a following. Some titles are often shot DIY lo-fi or on iPhones but still pack a punch because of the content - most of which I think we can all relate to or know someone who struggles. When Ebert described movies as an “empathy machine,” this is a film festival that celebrates that on many levels. I didn’t get to watch every single title shown this year due to my own recent mental health struggles, but I wanted to highlight just a few more for this summation here that I hope people seek out. Until next year, congrats once again to everyone involved with the Mental Filmness jury for their biggest success to date.
For those curious about future submissions and to read reviews regarding its many successes and shoutouts from filmmakers, do go here: https://filmfreeway.com/MentalFilmness
And if you’re able to sign on tonight into tomorrow, catch some of these great short films and features here: https://watch.eventive.org/mentalfilmness2024
Reya’s World (dir. Isabella Sri Montana)
One of the best films from this year is Reya’s World, which delves into the raw and poignant struggle of a young woman navigating the depths of depression. Feeling trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of isolation, Reya finds solace and gradual healing through small moments of self-connection and genuine friendships, gradually lifting the heavy burden that envelops her.
Having recently revisted Carnival of Souls, the sequence that still hits home the hardest for me is when our lead character is basically invisible to the outside world. Everything ends up muted, distant and disassocation. Even the way this short film is photographed, you can even tell from the image above, that there is a darkness that doesn’t go out within Reya. It’s captured here visually and even during the opening when a friend offers suggestions like “going for a run each morning.” Reya is in such a fog that even advice can’t lift it completely. The stylistic choice to make everything dim and gray really fits.
White noise, muffled speech, difficulty connecting with the outside world is all captured in 20 minutes that is challenging but accurate. A lot of credit to filmmaker Isabella Sri Montana for making bold choices to really give the viewer an intimate experience on what it’s like to feel lost inside. This is a film whose character I deeply understood and grateful that it was shown this year.
My Dad’s Tapes (dir. Kurtis Watson)
I think by the title alone, you can probably guess what I thought of this one - another highlight from the festival that profoundly moved me from filmmaker Kurtis Watson telling an extremely personal story. A trove of home video tapes spurs Kurtis to investigate repressed parts of his past and come to terms with his own identity. A search for the cause of his father’s sudden suicide turns into a cathartic journey of reconnection and healing. Not to mention examining the family’s reaction to a sudden tragedy.
My Dad’s Tapes is tremendously brave embrace of a reality in which some of our most burning questions may forever be unanswered even with those we were close to. Closure isn’t always possible; how do we manage that fact? Part of me wanted more than interviews (mainly with mom and sister) in the traditional documentary format but there is such vulnerability on display from everyone here, including the filmmaker who is wrestling with a lot in hopes of uncovering truth in an honest way. For me, it’s about the intention here - wanting to understand the past in hopes of a more stable present.
This is a brave form of therapy; exploring memory by going to places where the dad used to walk. Or by viewing his home videos from a private collection. It’s a tribute that keeps his father’s spirit alive all while questioning himself in a non indulgent way. No need to break new ground when it comes to form. Everything else on display here is honest, brutally so at times. This is sad, sincere, relatable, grounded and compassionate filmmaking that might inspire future generations to tell their own stories about the effects of loss and mental illness and how it’s impacted their family. Everyone involved should be proud.
When the Rain Falls in Baden-Baden (dir. Alessandro Soetje)
When the Rain Falls in Baden-Baden might be one of the most beautifully shot films of the entire festival run. Filmmaker Alessandro Soetje deserves acclaim for not only the look and feel of what it’s like to experience a fractured memory but pay homage to a film like Last Year at Marienbad without ever coming across as derivative. The structure has a purpose that ultimately leads to one of the more emotional conclusions I’ve seen this year. Whereas poorly handled in Robert Zemeckis’ Here, the portrayal of dementia and lost identity is beautifully shown between two people alone trying to connect and reconnect through the act of routine. They are inside looking out.
The country is under lockdown. Covid-19 has decimated the patients of a local retirement facility. In one of them two stories flow parallel through the empty corridors. Alfredo, the medical director, must face the inspection of the inflexible inspector, Viola, to whom he must account for the anti Covid measures adopted. Meanwhile Georg, a guest of foreign origins apparently heedless of any health precautions, uses all his talents to win the heart of a new patient, Alida, who, who resists advances with less and less firmness. The two plots will inevitably intertwine. But nothing is as it seems.
By the end of this film when you realize the intention of Georg, it’s impossible not to be moved by the gesture. Baden-Baden is an extraordinary, compassionate short film about aging gracefully and not losing sight of those we need and appreciate the most in life. All that and every frame is almost a painting in of itself. When I think of film as a work of art that does more than just tell a story, When the Rain Falls in Baden-Baden is an example of that at its finest. I hope everyone gets a chance to discover this one the way I did.
Look At Me (dir. Taylor Olson)
Ending on another favorite from this year since it’s also responsible for inspiring me to tell my own story surrounding mental health, all while looking back at my personal history trying to even make a movie in the first place. Taylor Olson is a name to take note of since I know we will be seeing and hearing a lot more from him in the future based on this incredibly vulnerable feature (please do check out my interview with Taylor linked at the bottom!).
Hailing from Canada, Taylor poignantly tells a fictional autobiography about an insecure, awkward and lonely bisexual actor who goes on an unwitting journey of self-love in the midst of an eating disorder relapse. There are dating catastrophes, issues that eventually rise to the surface after long being buried as well as a weight loss journey that our protagnoist hopes will lead to less body dysmorphia. Again, all very relatable and grounded in its portryal.
I have to give props to the filmmaker for being so fearless in telling a story about not just weight and an eating disorder, but about how hard it is to stay consistent as a result of erratic mental health. It kicks off with a story about how an aunt said to him at a young age, “you’re getting chubby,” and how something like that really can have lingering, lasting effects. From that moment on I was hooked and engaged by nearly every choice, including a prolonged, nearly single still shot of a therapy session that also feels achingly real.
Not everything about this film works - those music numbers that pop up every once in a while as an interlude break the tone a little in a way that’s jarring but that’s mainly a stylistic choice for levity. Nearly everything else about this movie worked its magic on me, once again, due to the fact that I can relate to this character's behavior. He's charming in ways that really put a smile to my face especially during the first date and everything that followed.
Self-loathing (and eating your way through social and performance anxiety) are captured here in a way that felt grounded and brutal. The one-take therapy session was pitch-perfect, and I love there's a glimmer of hope in the end. So glad that Taylor told his story to shine a light on queer chubby nerds that struggle with food and body image issues. We need more stories like these so I'm highly recommending this and once again, truly grateful that Mental Filmness exists so we get to see stories like this and so much more!
Check out my interview with filmmaker Taylor Olsen here: https://mentalfilmness.com/2024/10/29/virtual-festival-highlight-look-at-me-an-interview-with-taylor-olson
