I used to think of the “public service announcement” label as an insult of sorts. A PSA was a message funded by the government that was usually both trite and clearly sponsored by a corporate interest to push their agenda. It was actually Mental Filmness that convinced me there is an art to the PSA.
As you can imagine, mental health foundations and organizations from across the globe use government funding to sponsor a wide variety of creative short filmed pieces to convey their message. Not only that, but there is so much government funding available these days for artistic advertisements made by non-profit and educational groups that it ensures orgranizations can hire professional filmmakers to achieve a result that is both informative and aesthetically pleasing.
This is a long preface for a short film, Save Yourself by Lawrence Q Hu. Clocking in at a minute and fifteen seconds, Save Yourself was Hu’s attempt to make the PSA about suicide that he wanted to see. Shot on 35-millimeter film with gorgeous cinematography, Save Yourself aims to leave behind the generic platitudes of many anti-suicide PSAs in favor of a more introspective and personal inner journey of struggle with mental health. Contemplative images such as storefronts, train stations, and playgrounds present themselves as daily scenery wide open to possibilities, while a well-delivered voiceover narration suggests hope.
I saved the best part for last. If you’re a Chicago resident and the scenery in the PSA strikes you as somewhat familiar, it is probably because Lawrence Q Hu is based out of Chicago. And yes, he will be in attendance at Mental Filmness on 10/9 to present and speak about his PSA Save Yourself. You won’t want to miss it!
You can see Save Yourself plays Friday evening, 10/9, at Mental Filmness, with filmmaker Lawrence Q Hu in person!
Get your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/mental-filmness-54312030423
