Hope Simpson

Dark Night of The Soul is a Short Film, initially inspired by my intrigue in Afro-Surrealism which is a visual and literary movement that projects alternative ways of representing the black experience in the world of art. As I researched more I thought about my individual experience and my identity as a young black man. This brought me to think about depression and the mental health of young black males. This is a topic that is generally untouched upon deeply within society authentically, many older generations have instilled in their children to conceal their emotions as they lived in a society where many felt they had to conceal themselves. I also discovered during the development of the project that my cousin was suffering from depression and passed away from suicide. This compelled me to make this theme a part of the project. The time my cousin passed (during lockdown) also brought me to relate this time as a factor to the further decline in peoples mental health. I crafted a narrative influenced by my experience throughout this time and the past and escaping into the subconscious. Logline: Hope a young man experiencing depression and creative block ventures through his subconscious.