Simonida Savić

Navigating the hype, potential, and pitfalls of psychedelics

8’00”

Magic pills, shroom bubbles, and grey clouds, strives  to ‘pop’ some of the delusive  information presented by mainstream media, psychedelic enthusiasts, and people outside the psychedelic community. This short animated film peels away the various layers of the narratives surrounding the rise of psilocybin and other psychedelics in a (mainly) white western context.

In the development of this film, Simonida interviewed a variety of people involved in psychedelics, from a neuropsychologist to a Buddhist chaplain to a smart shop owner. Examining the origins and history of psilocybin mushrooms, together with her interviewees, she challenges and exchanges personal experiences, alongside speculative futures, and starts a deeper discussion on the use and embodiment of psychedelics.

Striving to clear up some ‘grey clouds’ around these topics, the work strives to critically look at a variety of questions: Why do we take psychedelics? How should those motivations be justified?  Is taking magic truffles or other psychedelic medicine a form of cultural appropriation? Should we treat psilocybin and other psychedelics as pharmaceuticals? Are recreational uses of these ‘substances’ the best way to take psychedelics?

With the participation of: Lousie Bezerra (BR), Kenan de Leeuw (NL), Lila Watermann (US), Euphoria smartshop owner (NL), Arantxa Polak (NL), Daan Keiman (NL)

Simonida Savić (b. Netherlands) works as a multidisciplinary graphic designer, where she translates her research into visual storytelling.

By having a variety of interests, including the development of psychedelics and mushrooms, as well as other cultural curiosities, she uses her personal interest as an inspiration for her individual projects.

photography by Floris Meijer