Filmmaker, Eslam Hozayen released a series of visuals called “Meds” to online festivals in an attempt to educate folks on what happens in “the dark side of the brain”. The series contains five different visuals of five visualizations of intrusive thoughts. Hozayen says the concept is meant to shed light on the issue of intrusive thoughts among OCD patients.
Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt; Hozayen moved to the United States at 17 years of age. Residing in the state of Minnesota, he developed love for screen writing, but with English being his second language Eslam found it tough to write in a foreign language, so he spent years perfecting his English before he would try and finish his first screenplay. “The topic of mental health was always the most appealing to me” hozayen tells us “I just don’t think there can ever be enough awareness raised for such a serious matter”. With that in mind, Hozayen started to explore themind from any and every angle, he wanted to know how it all works, “I think with all the studies and advances that we as a race have reached so far, there’s still no definite answer as to how the mind fully operates, there’s just so much going on in there and some of it remains unexplainable”. His most recent work “Meds” is his most recent attempt to present the mind raw and unedited to film festivals viewers. “Since some things can’t be explained, I believe I can at least visualize them and present them raw on a screen for others to know that this happens, it’s “normal”, and it’s ok, to educate on mental health is very important, but to show someone that you know exactly what they’re goin through when they suffer from negative or intrusive thoughts that can hinder their day to day activities is far more relatable, it’s you saying “hey you’re not alone, I know what this is like”. It somehow eases the pain of the individual suffering to know that this is “normal” and it happens to others”. That’s Eslam’s message and goal through his work, he presents the dark side of the brain raw and unedited, he recreates mental fears through writing and directing and then brings them to the screen for a closer detailed look that can comfort the viewer by telling them “this is all irrational, it’s your mind playing tricks on you”. Eslam had always believed in group therapy, he believes that knowing you’re not alone in your struggles somehow takes a load off your shoulders, which is why he aims for an audience that can relate to his work. The writer-director aims to release his series “Meds” to online platforms after it’s done making festivals’ run.
