The Difficult Fruit is a short documentary about Dan who spent six years on SSRI antidepressants and was told he couldn’t eat grapefruit due to dangerous interactions. When he finally came off SSRIs, that first bite of grapefruit became a surprisingly emotional symbol of everything he’d been through - withdrawal, recovery, side effects and learning how to feel like himself again. This gentle, honest film explores the experience of going on SSRIs, being on long-term antidepressant medication and coming off them after years of use. Through Dan’s story, we look at the physical and emotional realities of SSRI withdrawal, the strange side effects people don’t talk about, and how a tiny forbidden fruit became a way to discuss mental health with humour and humanity. Shot in a single day on a Sony FX3 using only natural light, the documentary embraces simplicity, authenticity and a textured, analogue-inspired visual style. It’s a small story about a grapefruit, but also a bigger story about ...