Short Films: Normality? II

What is normality? By turns experimental, surreal, and uncanny, these diverse international short films how mental ill health and the factors that contribute to it can become normalised in society.

This selection includes the stories of an Iranian queer filmmaker with a unique place in cinematic history speaking out about childhood sexual abuse, a telephone counsellor with decades of experience supporting callers contemplating suicide, and a young woman who has to face up to a legacy of emotional abuse on a visit to her mother.

Watch Normality? II at INDY On Demand. Screening 3-9 May for UK audiences. Runtime: 68m.

Join us for a Zoom Q&A with the filmmakers at 2pm on Saturday 8 May.

Like You Know it All, Ji-Yoon Park, Republic of Korea, UK, 11m, World Premiere
Kwang-Ja Lee shares her 45 years’ experience as a telephone counsellor at Lifeline Korea, a country that often has the world’s highest suicide rate. Audio from a series of interviews is paired with imagery from urban landscapes, creating a reflective space which inspires empathy. Content note: suicide

Helfer, Anna Szöllősi, Hungary, 10m, Scottish Premiere
Based on personal experience, this surreal Hungarian animation depicts a young woman haunted by anxiety and recurring nightmares, as she turns to an ambivalent helper. Content: trauma, abuse within therapeutic setting.

The Sound, Antony Petrou, Cyprus, 15m, Scottish Premiere
Living in a rural farmhouse, teenager Beth becomes obsessed with identifying a mysterious sound which has begun to haunt her mother with devastating consequences for her mental health. Content: depiction of self-harm scarring, discussion of suicide, conspiracy theories.

Umbilical, Elpida Stathtou, Greece, 13m, World Premiere
A young woman has to face the legacy of her traumatic past when she pays a visit to her mother, a victim of sustained emotional abuse. Content: trauma, emotional abuse, urination.

Letter To My Mother, Amina Maher, Iran, 19m
Winner of the Experimental award at SMHAF 2021.
A radical and fearless autobiographical examination of the impact of childhood sexual abuse by Iranian queer filmmaker Amina Maher. Content: strong nudity, strong discussion of childhood sexual abuse, strong sexual imagery, full body shaving.

Image: Letter to My Mother