THE DISTRACTION - !TRIGGER WARNING!

{An Anxiety/Depression Experience}

A short form exploration of the very visceral and disorienting world of living with severe anxiety and depression, the world’s biggest health problem.

DISTRACTING YOURSELF IS NOT ENOUGH….BE UNABASHED! Get it out of your body and don’t hold back! Tell someone right this moment! And if they don’t listen, tell someone else. Get it out, tell the world without shame. It could save your life. No more hiding. No more pretending, people. This ridiculous stigma must end now. All we have are each other. If you or someone you know is fighting depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts please please don’t ignore it. Find resources online and in your community to battle this beast head-on. You are absolutely stronger than you think.
suicide.org
Adaa.org

My entire life I’ve lived with debilitating Anxiety and Depression. I found many distractions over the years, but no matter how hard I work or how far I travel it's always come back heavier and stronger than ever. I gathered a few friends who live with, or are directly affected by, Anxiety/Depression/Mental Illness to make a small passion project opening up about what it's like to live with this rampant, internal horror that is absorbing deeper and deeper into our society. Whether you are bullied, grieving, chemical imbalances, etc etc, the feeling is universal and can destroy your soul little by little.

As a person living with these illnesses, I find most films made about this topic are seen as sob stories, or the black & white student film of cutting your wrists in the tub. Many people think it’s a mood. Many people have no idea what it feels like. But what I do know is that there are million upon millions of people suffering from this very invisible and very real disease. Everyday I see another teen committing suicide, another mom or dad kills themselves, an elderly couple die by their own hand. We are all affected. It shocks me that we are all so ashamed to not be talking about this in normal conversation. So let's talk about it and get our society to be compassionate and proactive!

Written, Edited, & Directed by
MATTY BROWN

Cinematography by
JASPER NEWTON

Starring
EMMA SINAI-YUNKER
STEVEN J. WEINBERG

Post Color House
RAW STUDIOS

Color Grading
DAVID TOMIAK

Online editor
RYAN MANCE

Original Music by LANDIS TANAKA

Visual Effects by LUKE TANAKA
Poster Art by VICTOR MOSQUERA

Titles by REED JUNGER

Assistant Camera JUSTIN BROWN

Production Assistants/Extras
ISAAC PECK
MAE GELBACH
JALEN DAILEY

Special Thanks
SARAH PECK
LAURA SINAI
JOSHUA PECK
GABRIEL NEWTON
FRESHY’S

Produced by
JASPER NEWTON & MATTY BROWN

You are not alone. If you or someone you know needs help, go to 
suicide.org

Cast: Matty Brown and Jasper Newton

Tags: suicide, short film, docustyle, mental illness, anxiety, experimental and depression