Mental health awareness is greatly lacking globally, and it constitutes a major issue in human interactions today. Greece-based Indie filmmaker, actress, and author Anna Iris is pleased to announce the completion of her feature film, The Labyrinth, which aims to address the issue of mental health. The Labyrinth is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Ariadne, a single mother in her 40s and her 6-year-old daughter, and how she battled with illusions and realities.
Speaking about the movie, Anna Iris, who played the role of Ariadne in the movie, had this to say, “The Labyrinth is very close to my heart since I have struggled with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress from a very young age. I believe that this is the first time that a horror movie will attempt to raise awareness about mental health issues and moreover contribute in the effort of removing the stigma of mental illness which, unfortunately, even in nowadays, still exists.”
Shot during the pandemic, The Labyrinth is part of Anna’s “Awareness the Project” campaign, which aims to raise awareness about important issues that concern everyone today. In the film, Ariadne and her daughter, Anna, lived a normal life until she noticed changes in Anna’s behavior. Anna began to look sad, avoided going out for walks, and did not seem to enjoy the things she used to. Later, Ariadne discovered a hidden drawing of Anna’s, picturing two little girls playing happily while on their left side there is a dark, scary creature that seems terrifying.
Alarmed, Ariadne informed Anna’s teacher (Emma) and her grandpa, who calmed her down, stating nothing was wrong. With Ariadne’s grandpa unable to attend Anna’s birthday, they come up with a plan to write a storybook for Anna. As Ariadne attempts to write the storybook with her grandpa, horrific events begin to unfold, threatening the success of the book writing. These events see Ariadne torn between two parallel realities. She struggles to appear normal in the real world while trying to break free from the raging illusions.
The Labyrinth is told in a spectacular fashion and reveals the problems of people with mental health issues. It also serves as a glimmer of hope with the assurance that one can come out of any issue regardless of how severe it may look. In a related development, Anna has published a book that illustrates how the film’s story unfolds.
Anna Iris spearheaded the production of The Labyrinth with independent funds. She has created an Indiegogo campaign to fund the post-production and the film’s promotional campaign. The Indiegogo campaign is live on indiegogo.com, and Anna uses this medium to solicit for support to complete and release the film. Visit The Labyrinth Indiegogo page to support the film and raise awareness on mental health.
