12.00pm 80 Front St East Imagine Cinema

Director Heath Fletcher 23:17 Canada

Behind the Mask explores a space where our emotions, whether joy or grief, aversion or delight, can all be welcomed and celebrated as vital experiences that contribute to our individual and collective growth, self-awareness, and healing.

In Behind the Mask 10 inspiring Vernon, BC residents, with lived experiences, are guided by a local harm reduction coordinator and a renowned artist-facilitator who specializes in public art projects exploring societal issues.

The participants create masks through an intimate, storytelling process and share a vulnerable, beautiful exploration of the unseen sides of themselves. What does it mean to be seen—and accepted—in our authenticity and wholeness? To have a space to explore the vastness of our emotional experiences without judgment, but rather with curiosity?

The project takes a surprising turn when the city becomes divided in a heated debate that gained national exposure over the public art project at a time when mental health challenges have affected so many of us— this is a story of hope, courage, and community.