Honestly, I’m Fine (2026)

Emma says she’s fine. Her life says otherwise.

Emma is bright, successful, and always smiling — the kind of person who seems to have everything under control. So when she unexpectedly ends up on a psychiatric ward, she’s convinced it must be a mistake.

Because she’s fine.
Obviously.

But the harder Emma clings to that word, the more she begins to realise: “fine” can be the most difficult lie to survive.

Honestly, I’m Fine is the feature-film adaptation of Myrthe van der Meer’s highly acclaimed 2012 debut novel. With sharp humour and disarming honesty, the film offers a fresh, hopeful look at mental health — and at the fragile myth of what we consider “normal.”

The story, previously adapted for the stage in 2017, is rooted in Van der Meer’s own experience. After a severe burnout, she spent five months in a psychiatric ward — a period she initially believed must have been a misunderstanding. After all, she had always seen herself as perfectly “normal.” Gradually, both Van der Meer and her fictional counterpart Emma discover that normal is far more fluid than they ever imagined.

A place closer to everyday life than we think

The Dutch title Paaz refers to a psychiatric ward within a general hospital. In the Netherlands, the term is widely recognised and reflects the film’s grounded setting: not distant, not sensational, but deeply human. It’s an ordinary place people may unexpectedly turn to in moments of crisis — and one where connection and solidarity can become a lifeline.

Cast with international momentum

The film stars Gaite Jansen (Peaky Blinders, Halina Reijn’s Babygirl) and Jonas Smulders, both previously selected as European Shooting Stars — making this a notable return to the European Film Market in a new context.

“You are never alone.”

Gaite Jansen highlights the film’s unique tone: light-hearted, comedic and hopeful — yet also deep, layered and painful. Honestly, I’m Fine carries a simple, urgent message: no matter what you’re experiencing in your mind, you are never alone. This can happen to anyone — even the people who seem most “normal.”

Honestly, I’m Fine (Paaz) is a film that makes you laugh, ache, and breathe again — and reminds us how much strength there can be in saying you’re not fine.