Shining a Light on Depression

What does depression feel like? Communication professor Gina Guerrieri attempts to convey that experience in her experimental short film Dark Light.  

“Most people who’ve never struggled with clinical depression don’t understand what it feels like,” says Guerrieri, who has struggled with depression. “Through the film, I’ve tried to show what it is like when you are in this place, and nobody experiences it the same way.”

A collaborative effort involving students, faculty, and staff, the film was produced with funds raised through an Indiegogo campaign and was filmed on location in New York City and on campus. Guerrieri says the film is just part of a larger collaborative public awareness campaign, The Dark Light Project, aimed at fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness.

“More than 20 million Americans suffer from a depressive illness in any given year, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-aged students,” Guerrieri says. “We want to help normalize the conversation and add to the national discussion about mental illness.”

To learn more about the film and gain access to resources, visit thedarklightproject.org.