Chen Sing Yap

Ana, a young filipina filmmaker, shoots a re-enactment of a fight she once had with her mother - a fight brought on by mutual refusals to communicate. Echoing the cultural pressure from her mother to work beyond her natural limits, Ana rewrites every single insult into a chance for forgiveness. As the story of her film diverges further and further from the memory of what happened, she questions whether her creative additions amount to yet another repression of the truth.

Psychotherapist and UoFT assistant professor Anderson Todd is no stranger to creeping feelings of despair. From the disappearing wildlife in his hometown Owen Sound to seeing news stories about melting ice sheets and decades-long droughts, there is no end to the parade of ominous news. Little wonder then, that the worried comments from Anderson’s clients and students about the future only increase and increase. And like many others, he finds it difficult to share this crushing dread with others without turning them away. But our short film isn’t just about anguish. It’s also about what we do now. No, our individual actions may not be able to change the course of feedback loops or reverse fossil fuel extraction. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be contributing a community, we can’t be learning useful skills, and we can’t be connecting with other people and making a difference in their lives, now or later.

Ana, a young filipina filmmaker, shoots a re-enactment of a fight she once had with her mother - a fight brought on by mutual refusals to communicate. Echoing the cultural pressure from her mother to work beyond her natural limits, Ana rewrites every single insult into a chance for forgiveness. As the story of her film diverges further and further from the memory of what happened, she questions whether her creative additions amount to yet another repression of the truth.

Psychotherapist and UoFT assistant professor Anderson Todd is no stranger to creeping feelings of despair. From the disappearing wildlife in his hometown Owen Sound to seeing news stories about melting ice sheets and decades-long droughts, there is no end to the parade of ominous news. Little wonder then, that the worried comments from Anderson’s clients and students about the future only increase and increase. And like many others, he finds it difficult to share this crushing dread with others without turning them away. But our short film isn’t just about anguish. It’s also about what we do now. No, our individual actions may not be able to change the course of feedback loops or reverse fossil fuel extraction. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be contributing a community, we can’t be learning useful skills, and we can’t be connecting with other people and making a difference in their lives, now or later.