This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

What Does A Depressed Man See When He Looks In The Mirror?

When A Depressed Man Looks In The Mirror

"I'm feeling depressed and I don't know why," is the central theme of an award-winning video of a man, staring into a mirror, battling depression and the concept of medication.

The Tropfest award-winning film was co-directed by brothers David and Michael Karacic.

David Karacic said the film was inspired by his younger self.

"I guess the most ultimate influence on this piece was me", he told The Huffington Post Australia.

"I'm 33 now, and it was me looking back at how I was when I was 21. I think it's such an impressionable age, all your feelings are so new to you."

Karacic said the film was made to make the viewer feel uncomfortable.

Shot in one take with the camera slowly creeping in, that discomfort, Karacic said, is directly parallel to the how it feels to be depressed.

"It's about not being comfortable with yourself, I think we've all been there. Personally, for me some days I can feel insanely uncomfortable in my own skin and don't know why. And I'm not the only human who feels like that."

Although the film won the Tropfest 2014 Nikon DSLR film category, it's still widely unseen.

But with one in eight men experiencing depression at some stage of their lives, Karacic said the video should be shared to fight against the isolation felt by people experiencing depression.

"I hope this film lets people feel like they're not alone, Karacic said.

"I made it so people can look at it and go 'oh, it's not just me'. Even the guy in it, Logan Stevenson, just read it and goes 'man, I can feel this way sometimes'."

"I wrote something I'm pretty positive most people have thought but wouldn't admit."

To see more from the Karacic brothers head here.

If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondBlue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.

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