On Wednesday, March 20, Reynoldsburg City Schools is hosting a screening of Angst, a film designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, educators, experts, parents and includes an interview with Olympic athlete Michael Phelps.

 

Immediately following the film, we will host a panel discussion with RCS Social Workers. This film is free to attend and open to everyone in the community, but we recommend children be 10 years of age or older. We hope to see you at the Livingston Campus Auditorium on March 20!

 

We were able to talk with one of the filmmakers of Angst, Scilla Andreen about why she felt it was important to talk about anxiety, so much so that she made a film.

 

"I made this film because a friend of mine kept asking me to make a movie about mental health, and I said no. A year later, she committed suicide. I knew I had to make a movie, but that it needed to be full of helpful resources, and that's what Angst is," she said.

 

"The rise in anxiety, depression and suicides, especially at a young age, is shocking," Scilla continued. "This breaking news, on-demand world we live in contributes to the stress of life. I think we are so plugged in and wired more than ever. This impacts our sleep, exercise and our ability to spend time off line with each other."

 

When asked what advice she had for pre-teens and teens dealing with anxiety, Scilla said, "Speak up. Reach out to someone you trust, whether they be a friend, parent, teacher or coach, and ask for help. Anxiety is treatable. There are resources and tools to help you navigate life with anxiety. We all have anxiety, it's actually a good thing! It keeps us alive and aware. You just have to recognize the point where it gets to be too much, and that is when you ask for help. When normal activities in life become too difficult, reach out to someone."

 

After watching Angst, Scilla would like viewers to walk away with this message: Anxiety is treatable. "It's perfectly normal not to feel OK, and that horrible, debilitating feeling will pass. Anxiety is so much more manageable when you reach out to someone," she said.

 

Scilla made Angst in partnership with Karin Gornick. Scilla has been in the film industry for many years and was a costume designer for TV and film. She worked on well-known shows such as The Wonder Years, Party of Five and Dawson's Creek, and began making social impact films about topics that are near and dear to her heart.  "I like to use film as a medium to raise awareness and build community," she said. "It's one of these reasons we want Angst to be viewed as a community." Scilla lives with her family in Seattle and she is the CEO of a global streaming service.

 

Her message to the Reynoldsburg Community: "Thank you for joining in this very important conversation and raising awareness about anxiety to make positive changes. It's going to take all of us to make a difference."

 

For more information, resources and tools, please visit angstmovie.com. For more information about our screening on March 20, please email Kim Nadeau at  [email protected].