Greetings again from the darkness. Alright, who is excited for movie about a middle-aged man's depression? No? How about if that man is also treated as an outcast within his own family? Well, filmmaker Kristian Haskjold and writer Marianne Lentz manage to inject some humor into a situation that is not so uncommon, while also generating food for thought.
Eriq (played by Troels Lyby) is a nightshift baker. The timing of his work isolates him from his family. They seem to put up with him by mostly ignoring his attempts to test out his "dad" jokes on them. Each week, Eriq calls into the local radio station in hopes of being names the "Joker of the Week." This desperate attempt to be noticed is one of the signs of depression we see in Eriq.
Many folks struggle to find happiness, to "fit in", or simply to be noticed. It's sometimes laughed off as a "mid-life crisis", but without connection and a reason to live, depression can take hold. Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them." If you find yourself, like Eriq, practicing your fake smile in the mirror, don't settle for being able to tell a joke ... make sure you have personal connections in your life. Loneliness is no laughing matter and Mr. Haskjold's film is a stark reminder.
