Written & directed
Pickles
Pickles is a short film that conveys the invisible gravity of a mind weighed down. Told without dialogue, it draws the viewer into that experience through sound, light, and motion, turning simple actions into a monumental effort. And yet, within that heaviness, the film offers a quiet reminder that there is still a way forward, and that even the smallest step can lead toward hope again.
Watch film ↗Stills
Director’s statement
Pickles was made to help those who haven’t experienced depression understand how it feels. The way even the smallest moments can carry unbearable weight. At the same time, it’s meant to remind those who are in the midst of it that there is hope and a way through it.
Coming from a background in film scoring, I built the film around rhythm, tone, and silence rather than dialogue. Every image and sound was designed to feel just slightly heavier than reality, reflecting the way depression distorts perception.
For me, Pickles is about persistence, and the quiet, unseen strength it takes to keep moving when nothing feels light. It’s a story about heaviness, but also about the flicker of hope that remains underneath it.
— Jonathan Murdick