Stills

Synopsis

"Carnival Mirror" provides a visual interpretation of what a person suffering from clinical depression sees, hears and experiences. My wish is that by "walking in the shoes" of a person with depression, viewers could understand more clearly and thus sympathise with people whose illness is invisible to the naked eye.

A person suffering from depression sees and hears the world as warped, as if looking into a carnival mirror. The dark lenses covering a sufferer's eyes can appear out of nowhere, in the midst of an otherwise happy life, and be almost impossible to remove.

I am creating this project from the point of view of a person who suffers from recurring depression herself, and specifically in response to a bout of depression that I experienced last year. After recovering to the point that I felt capable, I wanted to do something to both tell about my personal experience and spread information about the disease.

I hope to inform well-meaning friends and families of depressed individuals that telling them to "cheer up" or asking what they "have to be so sad about" is not helpful - quite the opposite, in fact. The best way to help is to just be there for the person, and to lend an open ear should they want to talk.

If this film helps even one person gain a better understanding of a depressed individual's experience, then I have done my job.

Cast and Crew

Thank you to my wonderful cast and crew for helping to make this film a reality!

Cast

Main character: Linda Vuorenvirta

Barista: Ellimaija Tanskanen

Friend in restaurant: Pia Björk

Roommate: Enni Ojutkangas

Crew

Direction, Production, Writing, Editing: Linda Vuorenvirta

Camera and Lighting: Aleksandr Ivanov

Original Score/Sound Design & Production: Howard Rabach at Machine Room Studio

Film Clip

Contact Info

For any inquiries about Carnival Mirror, please contact director Linda Vuorenvirta: