DocUNight shines a spotlight on mental health with HAFF short films! Ahead of World Mental Health Day, UN City in Copenhagen will team up with WHO’s Health for All Film Festival for the intra-agency United Nations initiative docUNight, screening winning and officially selected HAFF films on various themes linked to mental health and well-being. The screening is followed by discussion and Q&A with experts, fostering conversation, actions, and solutions for reducing stigma and improving well-being for all.
In the short films, we’ll meet ordinary people battling ill
mental health with extraordinary determination and resilience. Diving into topics
such as depression, climate anxiety, schizophrenia, stigma, or homelessness -
combined with a strong message of hope – the short films underline the
importance of connecting with each other, improving dialogue and understanding.
The screening is part of the 75th anniversary
of the World Health Organization and its journey to achieve Health For All.
#Film4Health
List of short films
Part 1
WHO - The Black Dog of Depression
At its worst, depression can be a frightening, debilitating condition. Writer & illustrator Matthew Johnstone tells the story of overcoming the "black dog of depression".
"Love Shades"
Depression affects every aspect of a person’s life, and often that of the entire family. After using Love Shades, a father and daughter realize their emotions and struggles are more similar than expected.
"Knock on my Door" - Winner of the HAFF Mental Health Film Prize 2020
Sham fled from Syria and suffers from panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. With patience and empathy, doctors find the way to help her.
Part 2
"Schizophrenia in me"
Despite stigma and prejudice, Sebastián and his family have found the good side of schizophrenia. This micro-documentary shows how schizophrenia can unite a family and help one find oneself.
"Gen Z - Climate Health Stories"
"Climate anxiety" is used to describe symptoms triggered by the climate and planetary crisis, at times also exacerbated by existing anxiety disorders.
"Bumper"
In this short film, we meet Justin, who lives on the street with his dog Bumper – his friend, companion and reason for not giving up.
Part 3
"I am naked" – HAFF 2023 Jury's Special Mention
This short film tackles "revenge porn" and its devastating effect on the victims, such as humiliation, depression, a feeling of paralysis, and anxiety
"Gasping for Life" – Winner of the HAFF Student Prize 2023
Social media can connect - or be a source of anxiety and depression. The short animation showcases the sense of drowning in the maze - but also finding the way out.
"Mirrors" - Winner of the HAFF Very Short Film 2023
The category explores anxiety, self-doubt, and depression, with the main characters confronting their deepest, darkest thoughts - and empathy and reconciliation. The film director, Paul Jerndal, will be joining the panel discussion and Q&A.
About the panelists
Paul Jerndal
Paul Jerndal is an award-winning Swedish filmmaker and passionate advocate for mental health. Paul actively engages with organizations and non-profit mental health initiatives, using his films to raise awareness and drive positive change, sparking conversations that promote understanding, compassion, and self-reflection.
Rune Jorgensen
Rune Jørgensen is a voluntary ambassador with One Of Us, a Danish governmental campaign for combatting societal stigma associated with ill mental health. He also has 20 years of experience living with a mental health condition. Politically engaged, Rune sees his work as part of fighting stigma and self-stigma in a broader context in society.
Dr Ledia Lazeri
Dr Ledia Lazeri is the Regional Adviser for Mental Health at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, leading WHO’s work on mental health in several areas such as policy and services, rights and advocacy, as well as implementing the WHO European Framework for Action in Mental Health 2021-2025 and supporting the pan-European Mental Health Coalition.
Background
Mental Health matters
Nevertheless, people with mental health conditions rarely get the help they need. Many people avoid disclosing a mental health condition because doing so often invites discrimination and stigma – they may lose their job or find it difficult to get hired, get deprioritized in housing queues, and even become alienated from friends and family.
Mental health services are underfunded and under-resourced: for the estimated 1 in 7 members of the European population who have a diagnosable mental health condition, governments on average allocate only about 3.0% of their health care budgets to mental health services. Also, there are only about 45 mental health workers for 100,000 people in the WHO European Region.
WHO launched the pan-European Mental Health Coalition in 2021 to unite everyone who is already enacting the phrase “mental health matters”, whether they be healthcare professionals, academics, or people living with mental health conditions and their families. The coalition’s overarching aim is to create a space for sharing knowledge, wisdom, and experience in improving mental health at the individual, community, national and international levels.
The WHO Health For All Film Festival
The WHO Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) aims to harness a new generation of film and video innovators to champion global health issues, inviting independent filmmakers, production companies, NGOs, communities, students, and film schools from around the world to submit their original short films about health. In its fourth edition of 2023, there was a strong showing for mental health by European filmmakers as HAFF received hundreds of submissions from all over the world, competing in the Universal Health Coverage, Health Emergencies, Better Health and Well-being, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Climate Change and Health, and Very Short Film categories. Since 2020, the Health for All Film Festival has gathered more than 4300 submissions from 110 countries.