Mental health film narratives are arguably among the most challenging to bring to the big or silver screen due to their complexity, requiring a delicate balance between authenticity, artistic interpretation, and emotional sensitivity. Yet, Florian Pochlatko rises to the occasion with How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World, a film that offers an immersive exploration of mental illness and bends time and reality to reflect the fragmented perception of its protagonist, Pia, as she maneuvers through the world that feels both absurd and isolating.

Drawing from real-life accounts of individuals who have experienced psychotic episodes, Pochlatko wrote a super story that illustrates the fluid and often indistinguishable line between personal turmoil and the external world. At times humorous, at others unsettling, the film balances absurdism with an unflinching portrayal of mental illness, ensuring that its surreal moments do not undermine the gravity of Pia’s experience but instead enhance the emotional depth of her journey.

Recently, we had the privilege of sitting down with Pochlatko to discuss the creative and ethical challenges of depicting mental health on screen, the deliberate choices behind the film’s unconventional visual and narrative style, and the broader societal themes explored in How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World. From shaping Pia’s voice and perspective to the role of music in her distorted reality, the director shared the artistic and personal influences that shaped his feature debut.

View of the Arts: How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World doesn’t follow a conventional narrative structure, often bending time and reality to mirror Pia’s mental state. What influenced your approach to storytelling, and how did you decide where to break traditional narrative rules?

Florian Pochlatko: The first major influence on the narrative style came from the stories of patients and those affected. I heard accounts of people waiting on street corners every night, convinced Kendrick Lamar would pick them up in a helicopter, of encounters with Madonna at Kottbusser Tor, or of transforming into werewolves. I wanted to craft a narrative that stays true to how someone might recount a psychotic episode – with its fragmented perception of past and present, gaps in time, and an intensely subjective version of reality.

But if you look closely, the narrative still follows the core principles of traditional storytelling, it just bends them and actively plays with them.

VOA: The film blends absurdism with an unflinching portrayal of mental illness. How did you balance these elements to ensure that the surreal moments didn’t dilute the authenticity of Pia’s struggles?

FP: I felt that this kind of absurdism closely mirrors the struggles psychiatric patients often face. It’s as if, just when you start to find stability within yourself, those inner struggles begin to externalize. At the same time, the world around us seems to be pushing itself further into absurdity. Within this tension, I wanted to tell the story of someone who loses the boundaries between herself and the world. On top of that, experiencing the psychiatric system often feels strange and alienating for those who come into contact with it. There’s a lot of dark humor in the stories people shared with me, and I wanted to do justice to that. But yes, I agree—it was a very fine line to walk.

I just felt that if I stay true to myself as an artist and approach the stories I’ve been told with care and sensitivity, I can hopefully find a way to walk that line

VOA: Pia’s dialogue often feels like she’s speaking in whispers, revealing her inner world to those who care to listen. What was your approach to writing and directing her voice, and what did you want the audience to take from these intimate moments?

FP: Writing the voice-over for Pia was a tough and emotional process. It’s a blend of patients’ oral histories and my own feelings. I was also heavily influenced by the internet aesthetics of that time – especially the rise of ASMR videos, where people speak in whispers. I wanted to mirror that and create a sort of psychotic ASMR.

Whisper tracks draw the listener intimately close to the narrator, and I wanted to be as close as possible to Pia and her perception of the world, abandoning the neutral, observational perspective that arthouse films often embrace. Directing Luisa through the process was very detailed – often focusing on just a single sentence or even a word at a time to get the tonality just right. It felt almost like composing music. The experience was deeply moving and exciting for me.

VOA: The film’s visual language – grainy textures, shifting aspect ratios, and creeping cinematography – mirrors Pia’s psychological state. Can you talk about your collaboration with the cinematographer in shaping this aesthetic?

FP: This was also Adrian Bidron’s first feature film as a DOP, and I have a deep admiration for his sensitive and romantic approach to crafting images and creating a positive work atmosphere. He’s done incredible work in Austria’s pop culture, shaping the visual identity of numerous well-known musicians. Despite his significant contributions, he wasn’t widely recognized by major productions here until now. He’s also an expert in magical realism, and his previous work is both diverse and versatile. From the very start of this project, I knew I wanted to work with both actress Luisa Gaffron and Adrian as the DOP. We exchanged ideas back and forth from the earliest stages of the script, aligning ourselves with the story we wanted to tell. Adrian truly did a fantastic job. He’s humble, talented, and a great guy.

VOA: Too often, mental illness is reduced to a list of symptoms in media portrayals. Your film resists that by presenting it as fluid and unpredictable. What challenges did you face in avoiding stereotypical depictions while still maintaining narrative clarity?

FP: Thank you so much for recognizing this – it’s a highly complex topic. Psychiatric patients often receive multiple diagnoses throughout their lifetime, and these can be influenced by cultural background, gender, and even skin color. For example, Black people in Central Europe are disproportionately diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to white people. On top of that, diagnoses are frequently used as a tool to discredit individuals.

That being said, personality disorders do exist and often follow recognizable patterns. For many, receiving a diagnosis can bring a sense of relief – finally being able to put their struggles into a framework that makes sense. But it’s never that simple.

While developing the story for our film, I worked closely with leading psychiatric researchers and doctors. Many of them advised me that if I wanted authenticity, I should blur the borders between symptoms of specific disorders – because, in reality, that’s what they often see in their work.

VOA: The film’s title is unusually long yet perfectly fitting. How did you come up with it, and do you see it as a reflection of Pia’s worldview or a subversion of societal expectations?

FP: [laughs]. Well, when thinking about the title, I was inspired by films like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I wanted something that captures Pia’s sense of detachment from herself—almost as if she’s a movie character on a quest. People experiencing manic episodes often feel that way, as if they’re the protagonist in some grand narrative. So I was looking for a title that evoked that kind of epic, cinematic journey.

I didn’t choose a long or quirky title just to provoke anyone [smiles], it simply felt right within the logic of Pia’s world.

VOA: There’s a deep irony in how society demands people to be both unique and conforming – something Pia mocks directly. Was that monologue something you always envisioned for the film, or did it evolve organically during the writing process?

FP: I felt that way too, so my experiences naturally influenced how Pia perceives the world. On top of that, getting a film funded and made often feels the same—like an uphill quest. Funding institutes claim to want progress, but more often than not, they only support projects that fit neatly into a box. It felt almost like a miracle that we got to make something as weird and wild as How to Be Normal, because films like this usually don’t get made—they’re just not ‘conformed’ enough.

VOA: The use of music, like the Haddaway dance scene, adds layers of humour and discomfort. How did you approach incorporating music into Pia’s experiences, and what role do you think it plays in her perception of the world?

FP: As I tried to stay true to a psychotic perception of the world—where secondary media reality and the real world merge and collapse into each other, where song lyrics seem to speak directly to you, and TV shows feel like they’re commenting on your life—I paid particular attention to the film’s music.

I have a deep love for music, so I took a lot of care finding the right selection of tracks for the film. I’m especially proud to have Rosa Anschütz on board for the score. This was her first time composing for a film, yet she was already an underground legend. She had an incredible instinct for shaping the film’s musical narrative. The score is highly experimental—incorporating field recordings, broken beats, and loops—while still functioning within the framework of a conventional movie score. In a way, that balance reflects my overall approach to the film’s narrative as well.

VOA: Was there a particular moment or experience in your own life that informed Pia’s journey?

FP: Well, I’ve had some traumatic experiences in my personal life—not in the sense of a psychiatric journey, but still, writing this story was a matter of survival for me. That might sound dramatic, but it truly was. I created this film as a way to confront and process my own struggles and fears surrounding those traumas. Beyond that, I hoped that by transforming them into a cinematic experience, the film might reach, touch, and maybe even help others navigate their own challenges – perhaps by making them feel more comfortable sharing their experiences or even finding a way to laugh about them, without being stigmatized for it.

VOA: This film is your debut feature, but it already demonstrates a clear directorial voice. What kind of stories do you hope to tell in the future, and do you see yourself continuing to explore themes of identity and mental health?

FP: Thanks so much for your kind words. I’ve always felt drawn to mavericks and those on the fringes of society – I don’t think that will ever change. I already have a very clear idea of what I want to do next. Once again, the characters will face mental struggles, though in a slightly different way this time. And yes, themes of identity will play a big role again – I suppose that’s something I’m constantly exploring in my own life as well.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of Apollonia T. Bitzon

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. While we already offer rich content to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by exploring Asian music in greater depth. At the same time, we remain committed to present the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that shape these industries worldwide.}