Room for Depression
Room for Depression tells the story of three succesful young women struggling with depression. Sitting on their beds, they share their life experiences and discuss their hopes for the future.
As a filmmaker, I noticed that most films related to depression focus on the darkest side of depression. While I agree it's extremely important to discuss the difficulties of depression, I believe it's equally crucial to give an audience hope and to come up with ideas for the future, and show people they aren't alone in their struggles. Room for Depression normalizes depression, serving as a first step to free the stigma and start opening up about mental illness.
The three women are all successful students, and by sharing their stories I want to show that depression is all around us, serving as a reminder that depression should not be left unnoticed, and action needs to be taken. I interviewed the women on their beds, because that's the place where they are most comfortable, creating a relaxed, personal setting in which they feel safe to share stories they haven't told before.
Joosje Duk is a Dutch filmmaker studying Acting, Screenwriting and Journalism at New York University. For more info, visit www.joosjeduk.com.
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