The filmmakers in our first youth in mental health shorts block give me at least a shred of hope for the future in a hopeless world. When you watch this interview with Clayton James Favor about his short film Walking In Place, you’ll see what I mean. Using a blend of appropriately dreamlike animation and realism, Clayton made an impressive short film about a mental health topic I don’t recall seeing in the festival before, depersonalization. I think what gives me the most hope, though, is the way he talks about it and describes what depersonalization actually is.
Clayton used a lot of research about depersonalization to complement his personal experience and that of his friends, and it shows in his knowledge. He seems to share some traits with our other young filmmakers—he thinks and speaks about big topics like shared mental health experiences during the pandemic and the stress and pressure of modern life with eloquence and erudition. He also exudes an aura of optimism and positivity strong enough to counteract the pessimism and cynicism that run rampant in society right now. At least outwardly, Clayton seems to be flexible in adapting to the curveballs that the pandemic threw at the process of filmmaking. He is certainly grateful for his team and the opportunities he’s had, and he plans to keep filmmaking in the future.
As I said in our interview, I don’t like saying these youth in mental health films are great for the filmmaker’s age–that sounds a bit condescending—they’re just great, in general. It’s not just impressive what these young filmmakers achieved with a lack of budget and resources; it’s impressive how they could turn their creativity to what they could do with what they had. And even moreso than all these things, it’s impressive how bright and empathetic they are, and how they think about and articulate weighty, complex issues of the mind in such insightful ways. I know it’s been hard to have any hope for the future lately, but watching Clayton’s film and the other youth in mental health shorts helps just a little.
You can catch Walking In Place playing in the youth in mental health block in the virtual festival until 11/5: https://watch.eventive.org/mentalfilmness2023/play/6519bb7908ab3c006b977001
Be sure to watch my interview with Clayton James Favor and rediscover some of your hope for the future: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/875825795
Also posted in the Interviews section of the virtual festival: https://mentalfilmness2023.eventive.org/interviews
