If I was to point to a Mental Filmness filmmaker who was “indie” in the most literal sense of the word, returning filmmaker Tim Kail would probably be at the top of the list. For example, he wrote, directed, and starred in the short film Do Other People (along with his dog). A quietly powerful video diary of sorts, Tim as the main character is haunted by intrusive thoughts and ponders his coping mechanisms and to what extent others experience the same sort of thoughts of not belonging and self-harm.
As a result of Tim’s DIY approach to filmmaking, his films feel as raw, vulnerable, and personal as they truly are. It was great to catch up with Tim again as he is a good example of someone who has struggled with a serious mental illness and who has not only regained his footing, but has also developed a self-awareness of his own condition and the courage to explore it on film.
I love what Tim says here about intrusive thoughts never really going away, and sometimes feeling like a daily cycle or battle. That was what I felt at the ending of Do Other People: the relief of getting through another day while talking back to your thoughts, through meditation or cuddling with your pet or whatever works for you.
Tim is very good at capturing those very small moments that are part of a bigger mental health story, such as the way he portrayed the excitement and magical thinking brought on by the first blush of mania in I Was Not Who I Was, which played the festival a couple of years ago. By focusing on these quiet contemplative moments, so different from what many people think of when they think about mental health, I think his films actually feel more relatable and more universal.
Listen to the Mental Filmness interview with Tim below!
Don’t miss Do Other People, now playing in Shorts Block No. 5 of the virtual festival: Do Other People | Shorts Block No. 5 – Returning Filmmakers | Mental Filmness 2025 Virtual Festival
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