Directors Statement:

“What Keeps You In”, is a film about the devastating effects of untreated depression and mental illness.  It explores the negative impact these effects have not only on individual lives, but how that impact ripples throughout families, and even communities, for generations.  

Suicide, one of the most tragic consequences of untreated mental illness, does not only take the life of those who commit it - the repercussions can extend to everyone around them.  Growing up, I watched my grandmother slowly turn so far inward after the suicide of her son, that she barely ever spoke.  She would just sit and stare at the walls, so trapped in her own head that the outside world around her ceased to exist.  It was only years later by chance really, that I learned that her father and uncle had committed suicide as well.  No one spoke about that - ever.  It was as if she held all of that misery and sorrow inside, and that combined with the shame of it all, slowly ate away at her soul.  Suicide, may not have taken her life but it certainly prevented her from living one.  

As someone who has seen firsthand the damage that suicide does to families, I wanted to create a character based story, that would visually express the way depression corrupts perception, in order to create understanding, and help foster empathy for those who struggle with it.  My life in many ways parallels some of the situations that Kelly experiences. It is through Kelly’s character, as not only a witness to how others struggle with depression, but also as someone who comes to realize that she too suffers from depression, that I am able to show how elusive this disease can be - especially in a society where it is generally hidden or ignored. 

Often times depressed individuals behave in hurtful ways due to the distorted perception created by their disease.  When there is no discussion or awareness of their mental state it can be challenging for their loved ones to understand.  Many relationships can be lost or damaged beyond repair because of this. We see this through the character of Aaron, Kelly’s husband, it is only when he learns about her struggles that he can empathize and find a path to help save their family.    

I also wanted to explore the ways in which the stigmas surrounding mental health prevent many from seeking the treatment they need and the damage that this causes.  The characters of both Robert and Linda embody this denial of and resistant to discussion of mental illness and their treatments, and because of this they lose their son and nearly lose their daughter, to suicide.  

This is exact cycle of shame and denial, has been repeated for far too long in this country.  Mental health has been pushed aside or ignored, it has been stigmatized and not taken as seriously as other illnesses, and because of this we now find ourselves in the midst of a public health crisis.   A crisis which, though it has existed for quite sometime, is rarely discussed and often denied due to shame and lack of awareness/education about it, and has since been exacerbated by the confines of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Where millions of Americans found themselves struggling in solitude, trapped in their own minds, unable to ignore or run from that dark space without the distractions of everyday life as normal.  

It is NOW as we enter this Post-Pandemic Era, that we must recognize this significant impact and begin addressing it immediately.  

It is NOW that we must make this film, to open up an honest dialogue about mental illness, in order to get timely and effective care to those who need it.  Before we lose more lives to this prevalent and debilitating disease.