40 Seconds : a short film exploring representations of mental illness through empowered female characters.

As a filmmaker and survivor of mental illness, a feminist and an advocate for the de-stigmatization of depression, I feel compelled to tell stories of hope and resilience in individuals experiencing mental illness. Simplistic, uninformed and stereotypical portrayals of mental illness in mainstream cinema have long fed into a stigmatization of these illnesses. In addition, mainstream cinema often presents viewers with problematic representations of women, especially women struggling with mental illness. Mainstream narratives involving individuals living with mental illness often emphasize isolation, hopelessness, and violence, and leave little room for positive outcomes. I set out to direct and produce my short narrative thesis film, 40 Seconds, to present a counterpoint to these negative portrayals by asking the research question: can I create a film that ultimately presents a positive representation of mental illness, and of women successfully challenging their mental health issues by working together and supporting each other? To achieve this, I explored this question at every stage of the project, in writing and making the film. The final film follows the story of Adriana, a woman grieving the loss of her best friend to suicide. Adriana is very image-conscious, and we frequently see her taking selfies and trying to appear a certain way online. After being rejected when she seeks support from her boyfriend, Adriana tries to find connection by meeting a stranger for a hike. When she’s stood up, she ends up going on a hike alone. While on the hike, Adriana finds herself confronting her grief in person, and having to face what lies ahead. I believe the completed film is a positive representation of mental illness and of women working together to meet the challenges of mental illness. It also touches on how women represent themselves online, and the pressure people feel to maintain appearances when struggling internally. Most importantly it presents a female character in a seemingly hopeless situation, who finds the strength to carry on. This accompanying paper documents the process of writing and making this film while exploring this research question.Arts, Faculty ofGraduat