Triggered is a short film featuring first-person narration of the true stories of women who have survived severe abuse and trauma. Each brief story shares a similar format: it opens with the traumatic experiences, generally beginning in childhood, explains what triggers psychologically evoke that trauma anew, and touches upon ways the women have learned to live with and cope with their triggers. This formula ensures that even though the stories can be difficult to hear, we have a sense as an audience that these women are eventually going to find ways to heal themselves and to avoid their triggers, or at least become aware of them.
Some powerful imagery in the animation, a strong ambient score, and the emotiveness of the voice-over acting bring these stories to life and make them an engaging watch, even though I imagine this project would be very evocative with the audio alone.
Triggered is sort of a “storytelling as catharsis” film. It’s one of those movies that’s uplifting for the very same reasons some people would think it was a downer–because it demonstrates how hope and resilience can thrive under some of the most hopeless circumstances. It shows that you have the ability within yourself to pull out of some of the darkest cycles and patterns of life, harnessing the power of your mind and your mental health.
It also demonstrates the power of empathy. By telling their stories, the women in this film can hopefully feel a little relief at lifting off the weight of their story a little bit and showing other women how strong they are even in the worst of times.
You can check out Triggered in Shorts Block No. 3 in the virtual festival until 11/5.
Join in for a Zoom interview with director Jassica Mathis (aka Divinity Rose) tomorrow evening, 10/17, at 6:30 p.m.!
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87370229868pwd=697cZ8UYdUdNgvGa3sG7FAoIdijjnx.1
