Theme: Resilience

Mental health and preparedness.

October 10th once again marks World Mental Health Day, and this year's campaign invites efforts to strengthen our shared mental resilience. The editorial team has chosen to highlight a selection of films that tell stories of endurance, courage, and mastery.

One can usually endure much more than one thinks. Here is the true story of the crew of the USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, who were shipwrecked and had to endure extreme cold, thirst, hunger, and shark attacks.

Resistance can be easier to cope with by highlighting what is good, and by using humor. The movie Resistance is about comedian Marcel Marceau and his ability to brighten the world for many people. It is also about maintaining hope in a difficult situation and finding the bright spots when darkness comes.

Mental preparedness can also be about finding courage. The Little Prince is a great adventure about a little girl who, with her eccentric neighbor, learns about the little prince, and his ingenuity and courage. The boundaries of courage are pushed by looking up and daring to venture into the unknown.

In Astrid Lindgren's classic The Brothers Lionheart, we meet the brother pair Jonathan and Karl (Kavring). This fairy tale encourages finding courage within oneself: 'Sometimes you have to find the courage to do things you don't dare, otherwise you're just a little wimp.'

To cope with prolonged uncertainty, it can be a good idea to cultivate optimism and belief in one's own strength, preferably together with others. The documentary The Optimists makes it clear that everyone can manage something, and together we can achieve a lot. Even with a relatively poor starting point, mastery is possible.

But perhaps mental preparedness is simply about preparation? Learning about nature and survival in an uncertain world can be wise, and at the School of Life, the poacher Totoche teaches the orphan Paul everything he knows about surviving in the forest.

Published: 07/10/2025   Last updated: 07/10/2025