Experiencing Madness Film Series
 
"Testimony" (24 min, 2000, UK). Produced by Mental Health Media (London).
 Features interviews from the Mental Health Testimony Project by people who spent significant periods of time in 
British asylums. They talk about their lives from admission to discharge, including institutional life, 
treatments, resistance, and relationships.
Ordering Info: http://www.mhmedia.com/products/index.html; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"Myths about Madness" (20 min, 1998, UK). Produced by Mental Health Media (London).
 People with diagnoses of mental health problems describe the impact of stigma and labels 
on their lives.  They talk candidly from their own experiences about what it's like to live with the 
label "mentally ill." 

Ordering Info: http://www.mhmedia.com/products/index.html; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"From the Ashes" (30 min, 1996, UK). Produced by Mental Health Media (London). 

Carole Rigby examines what drove her to the point of lighting a fire in a waste bin at London's 
National Theatre, and suggests that many arsons are signals of distress.
Ordering Info: http://www.mhmedia.com/products/index.html; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"Hearing Voices" (50 min, 1995, UK). Produced by Mental Health Media for BBC Horizon. 

A BBC documentary on the Hearing Voices Movement and its innovative approach to understand 
and coping with voice-hearing. Shows the experience of "auditory hallucinations"-hearing voices-from 
a range of perspectives, featuring the approach developed by Dutch psychiatrist Marius Romme.
Ordering Info: http://www.mhmedia.com/products/index.html; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"Dialogues with Madwomen" (90 min, 1993, US). Directed by Allie Light. This film features seven
omen-including the filmmaker Allie Light-describing their experiences with manic-depression, multiple
 personality, schizophrenia, euphoria and recovery. Candid interviews are enriched with dramatic reenactments
 and visualizations of each women's history, emotions, and dreams-the private symbols of madness and sanity.
Ordering Info: http://www.wmm.com; also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC451.4.W6 D63 1993)
 
"Back From Madness" (53 min, 1996, US). Produced by HBO.
 An HBO documentary that follows the lives of four psychiatric patients, from the time they arrive at 
Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital over the next one to two years. The film contextualizes 
their present-day treatments with rare archival footage demonstrating how their conditions were treated in the past.
Ordering Info: Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, PO Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053. 
Telephone: (800) 257-5126; distributor website: www.films.com; also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC445.M43 C3 1996).
 
"We Don't Live Under Normal Conditions" (59 min, 2000, US). Produced by Fanlight Productions, directed by Rhonda Collins. 

This impassioned documentary looks at depression and mental illness as a societal problem, rather than 
merely as individual pathology. It challenges both psychiatric orthodoxy and the pharmaceutical industry, and 
demands that we focus, as well, on underlying social conditions as sources of emotional distress.
Ordering Info: http://www.fanlight.com; email: orders@fanlight.com, order #: QA-296; telephone: 1-800-937-4113; 
also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC537.W4 2000).
 
"Did you Used to be R.D. Laing?" (90 min, 1992, US). Directed by Tom Shandel and Kirk Tougas. Drawing on stories from Laing's own life and from his patients' experiences, and following him through 
a series of lectures and workshops, the film presents a portrait of the radical psychiatrist as an engaging, 
witty, and irreverent character.
Ordering Info: http://www.directcinema.com/dcl/dcl_films.html; telephone: 310-636-8200;
 also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC339.52.L34D53 1992).
 
"Between the Lines" (21 min, 1997, US). Directed and Produced by Sophia Constantinou. 

A visually lyrical, experimental documentary about women who cut themselves, this film explores
 the gray areas in women's relationships to their bodies in the context of deliberately self-inflicted 
injury. The women portrayed negotiate the fine line between self-destructive behavior and self-preserving 
coping mechanisms.
Ordering Info: http://www.fanlight.com; email: orders@fanlight.com, order #: QA-263; telephone: 1-800-937-4113; 
also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC552.S4 B48 1997)
 
"The Dark Side of the Moon" (25 min, 1997, US). Directed by James and Tabitha Mulryan. 

This moving documentary weaves together the stories of three mentally disabled men, formerly homeless,
 who have overcome despair, stigma, and isolation to become valued members of their community.
Ordering Info: http://www.fanlight.com; email: orders@fanlight.com, order #: QA-234; telephone: 1-800-937-4113; 
also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (HV3009.D35 1997).
 
"What About Bob?" (99 min, 1991, US). Directed by Frank Oz. 

Bob (Bill Murray) is a lovable patient who follows his uptight psychiatrist (Richard Dreyfuss) to his 
vacation home in New Hampshire. Bob quickly endears himself to the doctor's family but slowly drives 
his psychiatrist completely mad. The film is a humorous exploration of complex issues of mental health 
and illness.
Ordering Info: amazon.com; movies.com; imdb.com; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"Family Life" (108 min, 1971, UK). Directed by Ken Loach. 

The politically charged and deeply affecting story of an emotionally fragile teenaged girl (Sandy Ratcliff) 
torn between the demands of her socially conservative parents and the indifferent doctors and hospital 
staff charged with treating her. Reviewers hailed its "raw and finely nuanced performances," calling it 
"an unforgettable human drama.the perfect antidote to Hollywood's mindless depiction of the mentally ill."
Ordering Info: amazon.com; imdb.com; buyindies.com; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"Fear Strikes Out" (100 min, 1957, US). Directed by Robert Mulligan. 

The courageous true story of Red Sox outfielder Jimmy Piersall (Anthony Perkins), who breaks 
down under the constant pressures imposed by his hard-driving, overbearing father (Karl Malden). 
Piersall manages to overcome catatonia and return to the major leagues, batting a .272 average 
over 17 seasons. A powerful, inspring story of determination and resilience.
Ordering Info: amazon.com; imdb.com;
http://homevideo.paramount.com/index.jsp
 
"What Women Want" (30 min, 2002, UK). Produced by Mental Health Media (London). 

This film features powerful stories from women who have experienced serious mental health problems, 
giving insight from the perspective of the women themselves into such issues as sexual abuse, self-harm, 
and motherhood. It highlights examples of positive mental health services, and can help organizations review 
their policies and practices.
Ordering Info: http://www.mhmedia.com/products/index.html; also available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection. 
 
"Insight in Mind" (25 min, 2000, UK). Produced by Mental Health Media (London). 

This film vividly demonstrates how it feels to experience the highs and lows of moods commonly 
associated with "manic depression." The film takes the viewer on an emotional journey with the use
 of poetry, film, photography, animation, and music. These 14 poetic pieces are interwoven with the 
voices of survivors talking openly about their experiences alongside images representing them.
Ordering Info: http://www.mhmedia.com/products/index.html; also available
in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 
"An Anorexic's Tale: The Brief Life of Catherine" (80 min, 1987, US). Produced by Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 

This docudrama tells the story of Catherine Dunbar's seven-year battle for life in the fight against 
anorexia. Based on the story told by her mother and her own diaries, it traces Catherine's downward 
spiral from the age of 15, when a lively and attractive teen became obsessed by her weight, went on
 binges, became addicted to laxatives-and despite desperate efforts from many sides, died weighing 
an incredible 40 pounds.
Ordering Info: Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, PO Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053; telephone: (800) 257-5126; distributor
website: http://www.films.com; also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC552.A5 A567 2003).
 
"Shock Therapy: The Last Resort" (49 min, 2001, US). Produced by Film Garden Entertainment, Inc. for Discovery Channel. 

Advocates of shock treatment cite an efficacy rate better than any anti-depressive drug on the 
market; detractors say it is a form of head trauma. This film offers a balanced look at 
electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT. While following the ongoing treatments of a 30-year old mother
 of two, the program provides interviews with people on both sides of the issue, such as Dr. Peter Breggin, 
a psychiatrist and an outspoken critic of ECT, ECT survivors who say their lives have been damaged by
 the procedure, and Roland Kohloff, the New York Philharmonic's chief timpanist, who claims ECT 
saved both his life and his son's life.
Ordering Info: Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, PO Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053; telephone: (800) 257-5126; distributor
website: http://www.films.com; also available in Mount Holyoke College Library (RC485.S56 2002).
 
"West 47th Street" (83 min, 2002, US). Directed by Bill Lichtenstein and June Peoples. 

This documentary follows four people diagnosed with mental illness- off the streets and out of the 
homeless shelters, in and out of the hospital, at home and at work-over three years. The film offers
 a window on the lives of people who are often feared or ignored but seldom understood, and focuses 
on their resilience, optimism and grace. Those featured are members of Fountain House in New York City. 
Some have hailed this film as a powerful community and educational outreach tool for combating stigma,
 which remains the largest single barrier to successful treatment of and recovery from mental illness. 
Others criticize the ways the film was edited to highlight the role of mental health professionals and 
downplay survivor-run alternatives.
Ordering Info: http://www.LCMedia.com; telephone: 800-PLAY-PBS; also
available in Mount Holyoke Psychology Department collection.
 

“Inside Out: Stories of Bulimia” (56 min; 2002) A documentary by Michelle Blair. The eating disorder bulimia is on the rise, affecting both men and women from all walks of life. Often portrayed in the media as a kind of "extreme" dieting practiced by models, socialites and others obsessed with their appearance, in reality, bulimia can be as difficult to overcome as any addiction. This documentary takes the viewer into the lives of those struggling to cope with bulimia and its consequences for their health and relationships. Combining in-depth interviews and observational footage with abstract imagery and an original score, the film illuminates the feelings of compulsion, confusion, desperation, and hope evoked by the disorder.

Ordering Info: http://www.fanlight.com/catalog/films/366_io.shtml; also

available in Mount Holyoke College Psychology Department collection

“Titicut Follies” (84 min; 1967) A documentary by Frederick Wiseman This landmark documentary, banned by the Massachusetts Supreme Court until 1992, is the only American film deemed so controversial as to be prohibited from release for reasons other than obscenity or national security. Titicut Follies was filmed during the 1960s inside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Bridgewater, a prison hospital for the "criminally insane." This powerful and disturbing film takes viewers behind hospital walls to expose abuses by guards, social workers, and psychiatrists, raising difficult questions about the ethics of psychiatric treatment and the boundary between the “mentally ill” and the rest of us.

Available in the Amherst College Collection

“A.D.D.: A Dubious Diagnosis? The Ritalin Crisis” (56 min; 1995) PBS documentary. This controversial 1995 PBS documentary by John Merrow was one of the first to question the scientific basis for the "epidemic" of Attention Deficit Disorder and hyperactivity among school-aged children. Arguing that A.D.D. -- a diagnosis primarily assigned to white, middle class boys in the United States -- has as much to do with structural challenges facing schools as it does with any "biochemical imbalance" in the brain, the film includes interviews with parents, teachers, mental health professionals, drug company representatives, and A.D.D.-diagnosed children themselves. The financial ties between CIBA-Geigy (the manufacturer of Ritalin, the drug most frequently prescribed to treat A.D.D.) and CHADD (a consumer group representing parents and children with the diagnosis) are explored in the films most provocative segment.

Ordering info: http://www.shoppbs.org

Also available in Smith College Collection

“Elling” (89 min; 2001, Norwegian with English subtitles.) A feature film by Petter Naess. After two years in a Norwegian state mental institution, Elling and his roommate Kjell are released and forced to confront the “real world.” They find themselves in a state-funded apartment in the center of Oslo, told to behave responsibly, and supervised by a visiting social worker. Initially they struggle to cope with society, but through their close friendship, the shy Elling and the boisterous Kjell discover they can thrive on the outside. Transcending Hollywood stereotypes of the "mentally ill" (Roger Ebert called Elling’s deadpan comedy “refreshingly undogmatic,” and it was nominated for an Academy Award in the Foreign Language Film category), the film offers a witty portrait of two endearing men.

Ordering Info: http://www.amazon.com

Also available in the Mount Holyoke College collection

“Placebo: Mind Over Medicine?” (51 min; 2002) This Discovery Channel film critically explores the use of placebos in medicine and the profound effects that beliefs can have on both mental and physical symptoms. Exclusive footage reports on recent scientific studies documenting the effect of placebos in the treatment of depression, knee pain, skin conditions, and multiple sclerosis. The film includes interviews with noted psychiatrists, psychologists, and surgeons from UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine, and challenges many of our fundamental assumptions about illness and treatment.

Available in the Mount Holyoke College collection

“A Brilliant Madness” (60 min; 2002) This PBS documentary tells the true story of John Nash, the brilliant mathematician/psychiatric patient portrayed in the Hollywood film A Beautiful Mind. Nash was a mathematical prodigy, hailed as one of the most important contributors to his field, until he suffered a devastating breakdown at the age of thirty. He started claiming that aliens were sending him messages, and became obsessed with secret numbers and conspiracies. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Nash spent a decade in and out of mental hospitals, surviving with the support of his wife and colleagues. Despite these challenges, Nash won the Nobel Prize and his work has had a profound influence on many fields. The Hollywood version of his life story makes it seem as if psychiatric medication helped him to recover from schizophrenia; actually, Nash refused to take any medication (except during one brief period) and renounced psychiatric treatment as barbaric. If you saw A Beautiful Mind, you need to see this film to hear Nash’s real story.

available in Mount Holyoke College Psychology Department collection

“Friends and Family” (35 min, 2001) and “Behind the Behaviour” (32 min, 2001)

These two short films, created by the survivor-run production company in London, Mental Health Media, offer a viewpoint on mental health issues different from those typically presented in the US media. Friends and Family is intended to help those who are supporting someone with mental health difficulties. It offers suggestions for both crisis and everyday situations, and is intended to help build confidence among carers. It shows people experiencing mental distress and those who support them -- parents, partners, roommates -- talking about what they have found difficult and how they have helped to make their relationships work. Behind the Behaviour focuses on the role teachers can play in dealing with emotional problems in children and actively promoting their mental health. It shows new initiatives in UK schools, and describes ways of preventing children's behavioral problems from becoming longer-term mental health issues. Teachers and other education professionals who work with children between the ages of 4-11 years will find the film of special interest.

available in Mount Holyoke College Psychology Department collection

“Man Facing Southeast” (105 min; 1987, Spanish dialogue, English subtitles)
This feature film by Argentinean director Eliseo Subiela tells the tale of a lonely psychiatrist and a mysterious new patient named Rantes, who appears in a Buenos Aires psychiatric hospital claiming to be an alien visitor. Rantes has extraordinary gifts and spends long hours in the yard facing southeast, where he claims to receive communications from his home planet. The film uses gentle humor and stark contrasts to evoke the inherent problem of distinguishing between the normal and the pathological, thereby raising profound questions about the plausibility of psychiatric diagnosis.

Ordering Info: http://www.amazon.com

Available in the Mount Holyoke College collection