Japan is the place for you. The national government has just created a cabinet position to address the psychological needs of lonely people in the wake of the ongoing pandemic. How thoughtful of their government.
Recently named Minister of Loneliness is Tetsushi Sakamoto. The position was created following the marked increase in suicide rate, especially among women, in the country as a result of Covid-19.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga broke the announcement to The Japan Times. Japan is following the example of the UK, which in 2018 became the first country to create such a similar position.
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Depression, in all its varied forms, has been a recurring theme in many films.
Here are just a few titles of Hollywood films that talked about mental illness:
Girl, Interrupted; We Need To Talk About Kevin; What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
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Locally, however, it seems that it is in the short films division that mental illness is discussed more lengthily. One of them is through Ira Giorgetti’s short film, The Truth as Told in Lies.
The film is about abandonment and abuse.
It is about what happens to people when they are left behind, the hurt, the pain, they leave scars that change them forever, says Ira.
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In contrast, a new film called “Tililing” treats mental illness in a light, comical way.
Such a stance didn’t sit well with support group, Anxiety and Depression Support Philippines (ADSP), which called the film’s poster as problematic.
In the poster gone viral, the 6 lead actors of the movie are shown with their tongues sticking out, like they were suffering from developmental delay.
