Dan Basu – The Vision Behind the Romanian Mental Health Film Festival: Art, Dialogue, and Awareness

Discover the creative universe of visual artist Dan Basu and his vision behind the Romanian Mental Health Film Festival – a project that brings together art, introspection, and dialogue about mental health.

Dan Basu is a visual artist based in Bucharest, Romania, whose creative practice explores an impressive range of media – from installations and photography to drawing and porcelain.

His works are distinguished by deeply textured surfaces that seem to flow fluidly between symbols, asemic writing, and empty or minimalist forms.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in one sentence, to intrigue those who don’t know you yet?

Dan Basu: I am a multidisciplinary visual artist. My practice includes installations, photography, drawing, and working with porcelain. I cover various physical surfaces with textures that flow seamlessly from symbols to asemic writing or meaningless forms. The structures and abstract imagery of these shapes express indescribable thoughts and ideas, creating order and harmonious color contrasts out of chaos. I am active in the artist community at Atelierele Malmaison in Bucharest and co-founder of the Romanian Mental Health Film Festival.

C&B: If we were to look at the narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?

Dan Basu: Looking back, I realize that my path wasn’t a planned one, but rather a succession of encounters and revelations. An important moment was discovering photography through the analog cameras I received from my father. That’s when I understood that an image is not just decoration but a language in itself, a form of expression. I try to use imagery not merely to impress but to seek meaning. The Romanian Mental Health Film Festival was a defining moment: it brought together art, introspection, and community, and pushed me to move from individual aesthetics to a form of collective empathy.

C&B: What were the biggest challenges in organizing a festival on such a sensitive and sometimes stigmatized topic?

Dan Basu: Mental health is a delicate subject. The biggest challenge was to find the balance between sensitivity and openness so that the festival would not become a “therapeutic” space in the traditional sense, but neither a cultural event that treats the topic from a distance. It took time to develop the right tone — one that does not judge or impose solutions but creates a meeting space.

There was also the logistical and emotional challenge of bringing together people from different worlds: artists, journalists, writers, actors, and individuals who have gone through complex and sometimes difficult personal experiences.

Behind every screening lies a work of balance — choosing relevant films and encouraging dialogue without forcing it. It’s a great responsibility, because we’re not just talking about films, but about people who may see themselves reflected in them.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Dan Basu: I’ve always been fascinated by the way art can make you feel that you are not alone. This idea has remained constant in everything I’ve done, whether I worked as a VJ, on a theater show, or on a personal exhibition. For me, art functions as a collective refuge.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed over time?

Dan Basu: At first, I was much more concerned with aesthetics and visual impact. I was drawn to technology, spectacular imagery, and experimentation. Over time, I started focusing more on what happens inside people, not just in front of them. Today, I’m calmer and more attentive to details that concern emotion rather than form. I’ve learned to work with people from very different backgrounds, which has helped me a lot.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Dan Basu: They’d probably say that I talk a lot and switch topics quickly. They’d probably also say that I’m a friend.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?

Dan Basu: For a long time, I felt the need to work only in my intimate, personal space. At some point, I realized I needed to step out of my comfort zone and start communicating with the world. Partnering with other people and organizations was an important step that supported both my artistic and creative pursuits.

The Romanian Mental Health Film Festival was a bold move — it showed that mental health can be discussed differently, through film, art, and human encounters. That decision changed not only my career but also the way I view community.

C&B: What kind of reactions have you received from the audience, and what was the most emotional feedback?

Dan Basu: I’ve received many reactions, but the most powerful ones come from people who say, “I didn’t expect to see myself so clearly” or “after this screening, I started talking about how I feel.” As long as what I do somehow changes someone’s perception, it means the project has succeeded.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your festival from other film festivals?

Dan Basu: The Romanian Mental Health Film Festival isn’t just a film festival; it’s a collective conversation. The films are the starting point, but what happens after the screening is essential — the dialogues, meetings, moments of reflection, and discussions that continue beyond the event. The focus is on the audience: we want spectators to know the festival’s program, to understand where, when, and why they are coming. We’re not chasing artistic performance per se, but the way a film becomes a pretext for human connection.

C&B: What does an ordinary day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Dan Basu: My days rarely look the same. I often travel for visual projects or the festival, and my time is split between creative work and administrative tasks (emails, budgets, paperwork). I don’t have a clear routine, but I enjoy the variety. The most satisfying moments are when an idea becomes concrete and works exactly as I imagined it.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them day by day?

Dan Basu: I believe the world needs honest projects more than ever — ones that don’t manipulate emotion but respect it. Often, the hardest thing is to maintain clarity, ethics, and humanity in a context where material pressure is high.

C&B: How did the idea of creating the Romanian Mental Health Film Festival come about, and what motivated you to start this project?

Dan Basu: The Romanian Mental Health Film Festival came about naturally, through collaboration with Teodora Popescu and Raluca Bejenariu from the In Dialog Association, and from my desire to do something meaningful, with real purpose and impact. It felt like a natural step to bring together film, dialogue, and the topic of mental health in an accessible and human context. I took on the role of executive director and handled the concept development, technical and logistical aspects, and overall coordination. The festival grew from the genuine need to create a space where people can openly talk about their emotions without stigma. I feel that if we hadn’t done it, someone else soon would have — it was the right time for such a project to exist.

C&B: What are the medium- and long-term development plans for the Romanian Mental Health Film Festival?

Dan Basu: In the medium term, we want to consolidate the festival’s structure and create a satellite edition in Bucharest, so that in May we have the Iași edition and in October the Bucharest edition. We also want to expand the RMHFFest CLASSes concept: educational sessions, artist talks, and workshops in universities and schools to open up discussions about mental health in a language accessible to everyone.

In the long term, our vision is to turn the festival into a national cultural platform that produces content, research, and events on the topic of mental health. I’d love for the Romanian Mental Health Film Festival to become, over time, not just an annual event but a constant presence in the public conversation about who we are and how we take care of one another.

Through everything he creates, Dan Basu turns art into a tool for reflection and human connection. The Romanian Mental Health Film Festival is not just a cultural platform but a manifesto for empathy, dialogue, and healing through creativity.