Through the Lens of Culture

Our submission is a one minute short following the struggles of a half hispanic teenager who struggles to connect to his hispanic family, this disconnect similarly brings him to feel isolated with his friends and interests. However he comes to the conclusion that being between all of these titles: a hispanic, a friend, and a teenager; these factors make him rather than divide him. Everything and everyone in his life contributes to his identity, and to come to this conclusion our protagonist learned to speak up about his mental health problems. Mental health can make someone feel alone or alienated, all it takes is for you to notice all your friends and family who are there for you to lean on.

Through the art of poetry, I, Kaia Resell, channel the complex and difficult feelings I’ve grown up with as I relate my own identity. Being both Norwegian and Japanese, the daughter of an immigrant, and an American citizen, I’ve felt like the other in a group of minorities; not white enough for the white kids and not asain enough for the asian kids. This PSA is intended to help fellow multiracial, multicultural kids realize that they can accept all aspects of their identity and never let anyone make them feel like they aren’t what they know they are.

My film talks about the mental challenges that accompanies having immigrant families. Including the pressure to be better.

Our submission explores the quiet ways love is demonstrated in a Vietnamese household, especially when words are difficult to express. The fruit that is seen in our film is common in Vietnamese households after an argument, showing reconciliation and a form of love that is shown through actions rather than verbal affirmations. The film shifts between two perspectives: the life of the fruit and the life of an Asian child as she continues to grow up. The rotting of the fruit portrays her declining mental state, symbolizing the importance in parental relationships and the impact it has on their children. Through a simple yet powerful symbol of fruit, we show that healing can begin when love is expressed not only through action, but through honest conversation.

My PSA takes in the fear and anxiety of recent events that don’t only effect hundreds of students in school but surroundings diverse communities. This PSA embodies the day in the life of a student that is personally going through these struggles trying to be strong for their family but scared so deeply inside. This PSA is also pulling from my own experience as a child of immigrants.

I created Nuestra Voz Es Fuerza, a film that explores metal awareness within Hispanic culture, especially Mexican identity, showing how our culture taught us to be strong, but strong doesn’t mean staying silent.

My submission is about an Indian American girl who feels she is not as pretty as her light-skinned, blue-eyed, and yellow-haired friends. She struggles with seeing the beauty of her identity and feels disconnected from her culture. So, she seeks help from her community, which shows her the beauty of her culture and the people in it. She embraces her cultural identity instead of hiding from it, and feels prettier than ever.

Our film, Strength in Speaking, explores how cultural values shape conversation around mental health. Through the story of a student struggling with depression, we highlight how messages like “be strong” and “don’t talk about it” can unintentionally reinforce silence and stigma. The parents’ shift in perspective is delivered in another language to reinforce the film’s cultural lens and emphasize that support and understanding can exist within, not outside, culture. As the narrator closes the film, the students are shown walking off together, smiling and interacting, visually reinforcing the importance of connection and support in the healing process.

The submission aligns with the criteria by raising awareness about depression, challenging stigma, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors. Our goal is to show that mental health struggles are real across cultures and that no one should feel pressured to face them alone.

Our video was created to bring light to the under-acknowledged effects that traumatic injury can have on one’s mental health. Athletes may experience injuries that keep them out of sports for years; meanwhile, their main focus is to get back into the game as soon as possible. Sometimes, the effects of injuries on mental health can be ignored, leaving athletes with a mental weight of fear, anxiety, or hesitation. Our goal in creating this video is to raise the needed awareness of the silent battles athletes fight long after the physical pain fades. We hope this story opens hearts, starts conversations, and reminds injured athletes that their struggles are real, valid, and worthy of support.

Our film “Walk in the Park” explores the mental health struggles of feeling lost, alone, and unnoticed. The short film follows the daily life of a boy in the Philippines as his diminishing mental state affects his overall character and thoughts. Towards the end, the Filipino aspect of family-respect is highlighted as a source of speaking up to emphasize the importance of escaping a void of darkness and improving mental health.