9 Short Films to Help Us Understand Our Feelings

Pain, happiness, anger, are sometimes difficult to understand. This teaching material will surely help you unravel the complex feelings that surely invade you at times.
9 Short Films to Help Us Understand Our Feelings
Gema Sánchez Cuevas

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Gema Sánchez Cuevas.

Written by Raquel Aldana

Last update: 29 November, 2023

This is for those people who really struggle with understanding that feelings need to be experienced, understood, handled and, above all, expressed. Usually we do exactly the opposite: run from them and avoid understanding our feelings.

That’s why, understanding and handling our feelings beyond what is socially desired is a task we should all take on… 

girl blindfolded with heart

In order to improve in these aspects, we have many tools at our disposal. Among them, there are short films or videos to help us reflect on and face feelings we can’t seem to bear.

9 short films about feelings:

1. Lucky You: Love is a beautiful coincidence 

The animated short film Lucky You is a clear example that love changes everything and that it will always present itself to people with a hug and a smile that will put all of the pieces of their broken souls back together.

2. The Value of Friendship: Overcome differences and help each other

It’s not always easy to overcome difficulties and sometimes there are differences that seem insurmountable. This short film will teach us a great lesson about friendship and the importance of staying beside the people we love and whom also love us.

Don’t focus on flaws, tolerate that which frustrates us, don’t judge and don’t betray our friends. Those are the keys to a true friendship capable of resisting any adversity life brings. 

3. The Moon: Differences bring us together if we know how to handle them

The animated short film by Pixar holds within it a lot of lessons. Working together and keeping in mind every point of view can be complicated. But if we take care of others we can achieve wonderful things.

The same way, this short shows us that by getting angry, we will only lose the opportunity to share some beautiful moments, to experience feelings and enjoy life.

4. Love Yourself: The power of friendship with oneself

In order to achieve good self-esteem, we must work on our tolerance towards ourselves. Through this short we can come closer to ourselves and understand how we destroy our own self-image based on ideals that are imposed on us and that we accept without hesitation.

We are complete beings, with our virtues and flaws. Our image doesn’t define us, but rather our thoughts and the ability we have to accept ourselves just as we are. Only acceptance will make us better.

5. The Misguided Monk: The value of patience

Sometimes we don’t notice how we can harm the people around us with our impulsive actions and comments. It’s important to cultivate patience, since it will bring us closer to emotional equilibrium.

6. Brain Divided: Brain or heart? The eternal dilemma

We should never lose sight of the fact that feelings make more sense with a bit of sanity and common sense. The same applies vice versa. So, when the time comes to pay attention to the most visceral part of our being, we should look at the bigger picture since that will enrich our lives and our decisions.

7. My Shoes: Appreciating what we have

This lovely short film should help us value what we have, leave envy aside and enjoy our lives without comparing it with our neighbor’s. Let’s learn to live with what life gives us and let’s value what we have before we lose it.

8. The Smoke Seller: Look at the essence, not the appearance

Appearances are like the smoke that the protagonist in this short sells. So, keeping in mind the popular saying “looks may fool you,” we should start to look in depth at people. What we show people may change, our feelings don’t.

9. Tolerance: We don’t listen to understand, we listen to reply

If we want to be heard, it’s important we cultivate our ability to listen. Relationships require reciprocity and tolerance. These are things we usually neglect.

Therefore, to learn how to coexist with other people, we need to listen to their truth and not just our reason. Communication is indispensable in order to listen to others. 

All of these short films help us not only understand our feelings and emotions. They also help us keep our values in check and put them into practice without letting us be taken away by negative feelings.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.