Phobia Short Film

[Venice]

Agoraphobiahas been examined many times in film and with increasing paranoia delivered daily through multiple media sources, the fear may not seem as unfathomable as in the past. PHOBIA is a dark psychological thriller from director/editor Rory Abel that follows an agoraphobic man as guilt and fear overwhelm his grip on sanity.

PHOBIA is a small film that is confined mostly to one single location and has a small cast, yet primarily focuses on the one character, Jonathan. It is a slow burn that does have a few sluggish moments but for the most part, it is short and straight to the point. The filmmakers had a small budget and worked with their limitations to create a professional production that may not be a great film but far from a bad one. While I may not highly recommend this movie, there is still skill and potential all around that for a feature debut, Rory Abel and his crew should feel very proud of their work.

Production-wise, the movie has a nice, consistent murky look that compliments the cramped setting. The majority of the film only takes place in a few rooms so you may get a little claustrophobic yourself and beg for Jonathan to just get out of the damned house. This helps add a little to the overall tension, especially towards the last fifteen minutes of the film.

The script and story, written by Matthew Barnes and director Abel, are fine; this is a simple movie with no tricks or flash and there is nothing wrong with that. Some of the promo material for PHOBIA may make it seem like a horror movie but this is more of a psychological drama with a few dark moments. At the end, I was satisfied even if I may have had a few questions.

As queer people, we want to feel seen and heard every day, but deeply rooted bias and outdated stereotypes have held many of us back from climbing the ranks in corporate America. Bias towards LGBTQ+ people exists partially due to how queer people have been treated in the medical field. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as the DSM, is an important resource when it comes to discussing and diagnosing mental illness. Homosexuality was not completely removed from the DSM until 1987. This is just one of many examples of how LGBTQ+ people have been severely misunderstood.

Now, misconceptions about queer professionals are likely getting exacerbated by queerphobic legislation. In 2023 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in many states including Florida, Texas, and Alabama. More than 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced to state legislators last year. And, over 220 of those bills are directly aimed at transgender and non-binary people.

Vaid-Menon has a serious following on social media with 1.3 million followers on Instagram alone. Their short film ALOK'' premieres at the Sundance Film Festival later this month and is a nominee for The Short Film Grand Jury Prize. From receiving awards from GLAAD and The Stonewall Foundation to being interviewed by Jamie Lee Curtis to being profiled in The New York Times, they have done it all.

Despite facing queerphobic comments online and sometimes getting misgendered while being introduced at events, Vaid-Menon refuses to stop telling their truth. I spoke with Alok Vaid-Menon about overcoming queerphobia in the workplace and how companies can better support LGBTQ+ professionals year round.

Part of making your company more inclusive is ensuring that LGBTQ+ employees feel psychologically safe. One way to create a safer environment for queer employees is by having Slack channels for employee resource groups. A LGBTQ+ Slack channel is a great way to encourage queer employees to connect without feeling misunderstood.

You may be wondering what you can do in your own life to be a better ally to LGBTQ+ coworkers, friends, and loved ones. Non-performative allyship starts with a willingness to learn. Acknowledge the feedback your queer friends and coworkers give you. Ask for their feedback during and outside of Pride Month.

Make sure you are listening intently rather than responding immediately or interrupting. After listening it is better to ask questions than to form opinions based on assumptions and outdated stereotypes. Unfortunately, many Americans only have exposure to openly LGBTQ+ people through the news, television, and social media. Even though the media has a history of reducing us to tropes and stereotypes, queer activists like Vaid-Menon are changing the narrative.

From the team at Prand studio in Tbilisi, Georgia: This is a project about rare phobias which people around the world face every day. When we started doing the film we had no idea there were so many interesting phobias.

A Taste of Phobia features 14 short films all dealing with a different phobia, directed by directors from all over the world. Everything from the fear of cooking, mageirocophobia, to the fear of sleep, hypnophobia, are covered.

Can you imagine having the fear of sleep or the fear of dreams, both of which are featured in this film? How about the fear of feces? I mean, how is that even possible? These are things that every single living creature on the face of the earth has to deal with on a daily basis and to have fear of said inevitabilities is surreal to me.

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