Remember, this is the LAST night to watch films from the Mental Filmness virtual festival, and I am just going to highlight a couple more *short* films that you definitely have time to watch before it closes. And remember to get in those votes! We will definitely tally them up and post results.
As someone recently searching for medical care, I have heard the phrase “health anxiety” bandied around a lot. Hypochondria, fear of finding something medically wrong with you, or fear of death are all so common now as to have their own terminology. What Niels Fiegerslev’s Forever Dying touches upon so well is how physical and mental health tie together. Sometimes we almost *want* something to be wrong with us physically, so it can explain some more deep-rooted psychological problems.
Forever Dying has elements of dark comedy in its main subject becoming increasingly anxious in a sterile waiting room to see a doctor, while a mysterious boil grows on him. In the clever way it ties physical and mental health together, this character’s anxiety presents as nothing to be overly concerned about to the other patients and the doctor. My favorite part of this metaphor comes in the end though, where I feel the film delivers its ultimate message from the doctor: if you don’t treat the underlying condition itself, the outward manifestation of it won’t go away.
There’s still time to watch Forever Dying in Shorts Block No. 2, and to VOTE by 10 p.m. Central tonight! Forever Dying | Shorts Block No. 2 | Mental Filmness 2025 Virtual Festival
