Family Ties

Family can take various forms and is always central to our existence. These films take a deep dive into family dynamics, exploring how family shapes our mental health and influences who we become. This international collection offers a variety of unique, personal and relatable stories about humble beginnings.

List of films:

The Land Where Ghosts Could Speak d. Tianhui Wu (Scotland, 2024) 14m
In this deeply personal piece, Tianhui Wu uncovers forgotten memories through sleep talking, exploring the tension between her body’s recollections and her mind’s amnesia. Using family archives and her own body as tools, the film delves into her trauma, revealing a broader conflict between individual identity and the unspoken violence within family and state.

The Place Between Was & Will Be d. Theo Panagopoulos (Greece, 2022) 18m
After his grandfather is diagnosed with dementia, Theo Panagopoulos uses their grandparents’ abandoned summer house as a space to process anticipatory grief. Through this exploration, the film becomes a tool for self-expression and opens a dialogue on the emotional impact of impending change and family loss.

Puddle d. Maria-May Backhaus Brown, Mads Theodor Bonde (Denmark, 2024) 8m
A tender and tense animation centring on a little girl who is desperately trying to get the attention of her father while he struggles with his mental health.

Daisy d. Catalina Kulczar (USA, 2023) 30m
Filmmaker Catalina Kulczar’s exploration into her Jewish lineage and her family’s immigration story, provides her with the space to address her wounds over her mother taking her own life. Open-water swimming becomes a tonic to heal and come to terms with the present.

You Are My Tomorrow d. Lara Köse (Australia, 2023) 12m
A daughter comes face to face with structural and systemic issues plaguing the care system while advocating for her mentally unstable mother. An intimate and compelling portrait of intergenerational trauma present within immigrant families.

This event is part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival’s Focus on Film programme, taking place in Glasgow from 16-19 October.

Languages:

Greek and Danish, in addition to English