Erika & Anju is an animation by Clara Horst which depicts Erika, a woman with violent, intrusive thoughts that interfere in her daily functioning. In the short film, we observe Erika’s relationship with a girl of her interest, Anjou, who is very supportive and helpful in making Erika feel capable and cared for. Throughout the film, Erika becomes more and more distressed by these thoughts and the loss of control she suffers, which Anjou meets with comfort and assistance where needed. Ultimately, the two grow closer as Erika expresses her troubled feelings. The short film as a whole does a beautiful job of showing the impact that intrusive thoughts can have on an individual, and the little ways that people in their lives can help them out and show them compassion.

Image Credit:
Feature: Sonofapreacherman at Flickr, Creative Commons, some rights reserved