My name is Elena Wiedlin and I am a video and sound artist working with themes of femininity and womanhood, in which they are being reclaimed by the oppressed, and victimized. The research I have done varies from the world of film and art, to the realm of science and psychology. Creating an integration between my art practice and understanding the brain’s complex defense mechanisms, helps me to begin understanding why and how trauma affects neurological systems. “Phantasmagoria”, the short film I’ve made for my thesis defense, is unpackaging events from my life which have influenced me artistically. To be able to express pain, loss, and suffering through writing and directing has been one of the most therapeutic parts of my recovery. It wasn’t until I began making art that I could begin to understand the scars that my trauma had left behind.