This Is A Sad Story appeared in the festival a little later and so does our interview, but you should seek this film out any way you can if you didn’t catch it. It stands out as a truly unique Mental Fillmness entry in that it explores sadness in a more absurdist existentialist way, and it crackles with the energetic wit and creativity of youth in the way that only a youth-made film can. I will be keeping an eye on emerging filmmaker Nuno Abreu to see what he does next, because he definitely has a knack for snappily written dialogue and dry humor without sacrificing the warmth of a sunset or peer support.
Mental Filmness jury gem Beatrice Wong has also become a stellar interviewer. I love her use of split screen, fades, and the dreamy music by Yuhang which gives it all a meditative tone. She also uses a skill I sometimes lack: she is succinct! At a tight eleven minutes, I’ll bet you have time to watch this charming conversation about youth and representing the nature of sadness in a fresh way—and you certainly should.