Best Friends Forever

Best Friends Forever is about a Person struggling with Anxiety, who then learns to cope with it. I was an anxious child, and my anxiety has grown with me. Sometimes it even overgrows me. I’ve always wanted to make a film about my anxiety. During my episodes, I have been taking notes on what it feels like and how it would look like personified. I thought of it as a monster that lived underneath my skin, and dreaded that it would always follow me throughout my life.

My anxiety was triggered once more right before I began working on this film; it had accompanied me throughout writing and animating this film. Although on medication, the only things that helped were long showers and the beach. The anxiety and panic attacks only subsided when I saw myself reflected on the screen, and saw the anxiety leaving my character.

Making this film is important, because through animating, I heal. Moreover, talking about mental illness remains taboo in Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern societies. The goal of this film is twofold; I aim to shed light on an underrepresented topic in hopes to start a healthier dialogue around mental illness that will encourage those who suffer to reach out and ask for help. Just as importantly, this film gives a glimpse of the weight that people with illnesses such as anxiety have to carry. I believe that with this awareness, people who struggle will receive the respect and support necessary to feel safe in an increasingly provoking world.