Talking Pictures

Debates and talks at the Reel Madness Film Festival
19th – 22nd June 2003, ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art), London

www.reelmadness.co.uk

The Politics of Madness

Saturday 21st June at 5pm

The history of psychiatry has been a mixture of scientific advances and social control. What constitutes a mental illness often says as much about the state of society as the state of medical knowledge. Peter Campbell, founder of Survivors Speak Out, and Professor Graham Thornicroft, Professor of Community Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, kick off this debate by outlining - with film footage - key developments of the past forty years: new treatments; significant legal and policy changes; the expansion of activism and medical developments.

The panel will then reflect upon the 'Politics of Madness'. Will advances in understanding genetics deliver long-awaited wonder drugs, or just create a genetic underclass? Are there any positive implications of receiving a mental health diagnosis? Is there space for separatist politics within the politics of madness, for example, should survivors follow the lead of other rights movements and create a 'mad only' culture in regards to identity, rights and arts? Is discrimination best tackled by promoting greater understanding of mental distress or by challenging stereotypes?

Panelists represent viewpoints from both individuals with direct experience of mental distress, and those with background in a mental health profession, bringing an vital diversity of opinion and experience to the debate. Panelists include Paul Gray (Mental Health Consultant & Project Co-ordinator of Unlocking Potential), Shushrut Jadhav (Senior Lecturer in Cross-Cultural Psychiatry at University College London & Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at St Pancras Hospital, London), John Bowis (former Minister with responsibility for Mental Health and MEP), and Andrew McCulloch (Chief Executive, Mental Health Foundation).

Madness on Film
Thursday 19th June at 7.30pm

Filmmakers from different cinematic traditions have portrayed and interpreted madness in many different ways, sometimes helping to further our understanding and at other times reinforcing our prejudices and sacrificing integrity for the sake of offering entertainment. This talk focuses on the ways in which the representation of madness in both drama and non-fiction has been constantly changing, and questions the relationship such portrayals have with both our scientific and social understanding of mental illness. There is an important focus on discussing the ethical decisions that must often face a filmmaker working with this subject matter.

Against the backdrop of numerous film clips, a panel will explore one of the central themes of this year's festival. Guests include filmmaker Andy Lee, whose recent documentary “Being Bonkers” for Channel 4 told his personal story of being misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia and being sectioned in a Psychiatric Hospital. Alison Cowen will also talk about her experience of being filmed by the BBC for a film documenting her experiences of clinical depression. Dinesh Bhugra is Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at the Institute of Psychiatry and has written and talked extensively about the portrayal of mental illness in cinema. Dr Cleo Van Velson has written on violence and the therapist-patient relationship as portrayed in feature films.

Psychosurgery
Friday 20th June at 5.30pm

This talk includes a screening of It’s a Bit Frightening, a documentary made in 1976 and screened on Yorkshire Television. The film takes a close look at a very personal subject: we literally look inside Margaret’s head as she undergoes psychosurgery, a procedure intended to calm her fits of violent rage. The filmmakers also probe – although more gently - asking Margaret, her children and friends about her life, her community, and her “condition”. They also press the surgeon about how much anyone fully understands, at this stage, the operation he is about to perform. The surgeon’s have-a-go approach is perhaps as frightening as the Clockwork Orange-style surgery shots that follow.

The film is dated in filmic style, but it still packs a punch. We’ve invited the film’s executive producer Duncan Dallas to take part in a Q&A with the audience after the screening, offering his account of making the film and of being a part of that particular period in Margaret’s life. With him will be Dr Trevor Turner, a consultant psychiatrist from Homerton Hospital, discussing the context of psychosurgery. Why was it an accepted procedure during that era? How is psychosurgery practiced now? What’s the relationship between this most medical of procedures and the deeply personal aspects of who we are and how we relate to others?

Reel Madness is the first national festival dedicated to exploring portrayals of mind and madness on film and will be taking place at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), The Mall, London from June 19-22nd 2003.

All details of the films can be found at:

www.reelmadness.co.uk

The ICA Box Office is now accepting bookings.
Ring 020 7930 3647 to book your tickets (UKP6.50/5.00/4.50).

Reel Madness festival office: Tel 020 7267 7722 / email: info@reelmadness.co.uk