I Am You Are Psychology

I am, You are is a psychological drama film taking a glimpse into the institutionalization of Stuart, a young man who’s mental struggles go unnamed, yet resemble elements of depression. On the surface, the film observes issues related to mental health, treatment of mental health as well as the patients themselves, and how such issues can lead to suffering from not only the patient, but also his/her family. However, much like One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’s metaphor of society, I am, You are goes beyond these surface level interpretations. In fact, my inspiration to write this film stems very little from the reasoning previously mentioned.

As I continue to get older, I feel as though my thoughts and opinions are becoming less of my own. As sensationalism as well as dichotomic views seems to grow in media influence, and individuals begin to move in more radical directions, I’ve felt that there is less room for nuance and open discussion. Without giving into too much detail, Stuart is a representation of these feelings as he faces both external influences (The Doctor), and internal influences (Mary). Regardless of the validity of these opinions, this film is, at its core, a cathartic expression of my feelings and anxieties.

Following the completion of my previous film Moretta, I realized that my expectations of my work might have been a bit off when you account for its genre.

Moretta was an overly abstract psychological drama that lost people’s attention due to its emotional and logical disconnects with the audience. While I had expected an Eraserhead outcome, it was largely a failure in terms of reception. This is what brought me back to my previous style that can be seen in one of my previous film Past

Lives.

I am, You are utilizes a stronger narrative structure that is accompanied by highly stimulating non-narrative montages; the narrative portion connects the viewers to the characters and story, while the non-narrative montages heighten the emotional responses of the viewer. While this was used in Past Lives, it had its own flaws as well in terms of vagueness and a convoluted plot. My aim with I am, You are is to attempt to remedy the flaws in both these films by providing a more substantial plot.

Most importantly, being my last film at URI, and as an honors project, I plan for this set to be the most efficiently and professionally run set that I’ve had to date. After working on several student sets and even a few professional sets, I’ve collected a wealth of experience that I want to pass on to my crewmembers in hopes that they, too, have a good environment to learn and grow from.

My goal is to take my viewers on a ride, and hopefully leave a mark on their mind.