Depression Pt. III

On Friday night, I saw Does Your Soul Have a Cold?, Mike Mills's documentary about the treatment of depression in Japan. As you might expect, it is a somber affair. Yes, it has the filmmaker's clean aesthetic and bold typography, but the message is conveyed purely by the sufferers and not by fancy edits or stylish graphics. There are no dramatic ups or downs, either; it's more like a constant battle for the 20- and 30-somethings to wake up, go to work, and maybe even be social. The film has a pretty neutral stance toward the commercialization of depression in Japan and its health trade's fairly recent use of drugs as a way to treat its sufferers, and the most lasting images of are of the subjects' low-key humor and moderate levels of hope.

Afterward, Mills and various crew members fielded a Q&A session. He described how he'd ask questions in English and have answers translated back to him via headphones on the spot. The editors used this English track while piecing together the segments. Pretty neat.

Representatives of the Directors Bureau, Fruity Pebbles, and Film Threat don't know whether to laugh or cry after watching the documentary.