Series

The Lived Experience

Films have always had the power to provide a view of what others experience in their lives. For many who have mental-health problems, films have provided a stereotypical, sometimes comical, sometimes sugar-coated, and often times dangerous portrayal of people with mental illness. These films offer a contemporary and honest look at what it means to experience mental-health problems for the affected individual, their families, and for others around them. They provide a picture of how we feel about and behave toward individuals who experience depression or bipolar disorder. Since national studies have documented that mental health problems are more common than we ever suspected, understanding the nature of mental illness as well as the power of tolerance or stigma, inclusion or rejection, seeking help or isolation represents a powerful reminder of how we shape the trajectory of what happens. This series is sponsored by U Bring Change 2 Mind, College Toolbox Project, Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research, College of Arts and Sciences, and IU Cinema.