Reviews & Quotes | Inner Wound Real

Educational Media Reviews Online | Reviewed by Dorian Bowen, Archivist/Film Historian
"The film is a gentle yet powerful journey into a behavior that is rarely discussed openly, and it produces an emotional impression much greater than the sum of its short runtime. It is Highly Recommended."

School Library Journal | Maggie Knapp
"Counselors and educators can reinforce the film’s concluding message that one can break the cycle of self-harm, and the first step is telling a trusted person and asking for help."

Elena Guzman, PhD, Assistant Professor, African American and African Diaspora Studies and Anthropology | Indiana University Bloomington
​​”Inner Wound Real is a timely short film that foregrounds how BIPOC people experience self-injury and find alternative coping mechanisms. The film’s use of different animation styles take us onto a journey into each person’s testimony of self-injury and different alternatives that allow them to cope without self-injury. With the animation we are allowed to move beyond the talking head documentary and instead delve into a multisensory experience that enables us to accompany each person on their journey. We are not merely spectators but we are asked to listen and listen deeply. The non-mimetic style of animation allows us to use metaphor and symbol to delve deeper beyond words. Animation allows for worlds to open up that would not otherwise be possible with live action footage. Given how highly stigmatized mental health is in BIPOC communities, Inner Wound Real allows people to speak for themselves without judgment and in doing so open up a space of conversation between the film and its audience.”