A good companion piece in the virtual festival to Portrait of a Man is The Next Step, directed by Nora Guicheney. This brave short documentary is about Nora’s decision about whether or not she should risk having a child as a woman living with bipolar disorder. The memory of her psychotic episodes still haunts her, but she has been stable for ten years. Her doctor thinks she may be able to wean off her medication, which can pose a potential danger during pregnancy, and begin the process of becoming a biological mother. But what about the possibility of brutal postpartum depression, or post-partum psychosis? Nora discusses these questions with her family and partner with no clear answers, but she sheds light on this emotional issue.
In the end, the viewer is left without complete certainty as to the next step of what happened in Nora’s journey. However, we know what decision she made, and to me that is the “next step” the film is referring to.
You can watch The Next Step, a powerful short film about an overlooked issue, for FREE in Shorts Block No. 4: https://watch.eventive.org/mentalfilmness2025/play/68e1c338dc07833cfa510e7b/68c720062f27d0c91808bd83
Let us know what YOU think! Remember, you can vote on each short!
