Arthur’s recurring dreams of searching for his father in the woods continue to haunt him two years after his death. With his girlfriend and boss showing little sympathy for his grief-stricken, depressed state, he turns to wearing an unnerving grinning mask after he calls in sick at work. As Arthur aimlessly wanders around a park and feigns being OK to his partner, nobody seems to notice his false smile.

Society’s ongoing misunderstanding of depression, and the lingering stigma and prejudice surrounding the mental disease, are subtly exposed in Smile On. The film’s overriding aim is to open people’s eyes to the clandestine, marginalised existence of those suffering with grief and depression.

Directed by Emma Frayne-Ford (UK)

Smile On

Smile On