“The kindness in simply listening.”

Working as a small team of high school students, we created a short film depicting a young boy struggling to stay afloat in a world where his emotional suffering is disregarded, his cries for help are denied, and he is drowning in the solitude in which he finds himself. Through this, we aimed to shine a light on the difficult issue of many people’s—especially the young—struggles and emotions being invalidated by those they turn to for help. We hope to send the message that, sometimes, it is not denial, advice or blind agreement that one seeks, it is simply a friend who will lend a sympathetic ear and really listen.