Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau created a short film titled The Invisible Self, to draw public’s attention to mental health and foster discussions about this topic. On 29^th November 2023, MCM College resident fellow and film producer, Alice Hong, crew members and social worker, Yan Leong went to Colégio Mateus Ricci for the first stop of the school tour screening, targeting 600 Form 1 to Form 6 students. The Invisible Self is a film about self-acceptance, embracing both the positive and negative aspects of oneself, and establishing a connection with one’s inner self. Most of the main roles in this film and the behind-the-scenes staff are played by MCM College members, while the script was co-written by local director, Steven U and second-year college student, Celina Wang (Department of Portuguese). The inspiration of this short film originated from the Chinese poem White Night written by Prof. Yao Jingming in the Department of Portuguese.

In the post-screening session, the film’s producer, director, screenwriter, actor and social worker interacted with the audience and shared some issues about mental health, such as emotional suppression, stress symptoms and management, childhood shadow, which aroused the audience’s deep thinking.  The screening was well received by students and teachers of the school.

“From the film, I learned about self-acceptance and how to face setbacks in life, such as unsatisfactory results in exams or competitions, not to have self-doubt, just accept one’s own shortcomings.” – Kyle Ao (Form 2 student)

“This film reminded me that when I encounter some stressful events that I cannot solve on my own, I can seek help from social worker, teachers or people around me. Even if the problem cannot be completely solved, it can ease my emotions and make me feel better, allowing me to have a better position to face the next challenge.” – Eve Cheong (Form 3 Student)

“Each of us has different aspects, and we all have positive and negative emotions. In today’s life, most people tend to suppress their emotions and think that negative emotions are bad. Past experiences shaped who we are today, so we should learn to accept all aspects of ourselves.” – Bianca Lio (Pastoral Coordinator)