CANADA | 2020 | DOCUMENTARY | 89 MINUTES | HD
ENGLISH AND FRENCH WITH ENGLISH AND FRENCH SUBTITLES
SAVING MINDS
Released March 11 2022
A film by Catherine Mullins
Produced by Catherine Mullins
Myriam Anouk and Alo have spent years seeking effective treatment within a mental health system that has medicated them but failed to address the roots of their suffering. Saving Minds captures their intimate stories as they navigate their way to recovery. With added insights from experts in the field, and the candid testimony of author Joanne Greenberg (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden), the film gives viewers a ringside seat as a new approach to mental health care begins to take shape; one that moves beyond the biological-medical model towards a more therapeutic and empathetic approach that puts the patient first and uses medication cautiously.
Available on Digital HD ➤ https://vimeo.com/ondemand/savingminds
Also available in French ➤ https://vimeo.com/ondemand/soignerlesprit
DIRECTOR’S INTENTION
Weighing into the discussion about the treatment of mental illness at a time when the chemical imbalance theory and other accepted truths were being challenged, was both inspiring and unnerving. In a field where psychiatry and psychology remain at loggerheads and pharmaceutical companies continue to put profits ahead of people, where does that leave patients who are experiencing terrifying breakdowns? What steps can they and their families take to get through a crisis without becoming lifelong mental patients?
One thing is certain: society is failing people. This is due to a shocking lack of knowledge among the public, which is reinforced by the stigma of mental illness, resulting in too many people living lives of isolation. Much of my knowledge is first-hand. For 25 years, I have advocated for my son who suffered depression as a teenager and, through a series of unfortunate events, continued to decline despite herculean efforts on our part. My family’s experience helped lay the groundwork for SAVING MINDS.
My intention was to mix the character-driven documentary genre with visual essay. To follow real people against the backdrop of a secondary narrative from acclaimed experts in the field such as Dr. Joanna Moncrieff, Dr. Martin Harrow, and award-winning medical journalist, Robert Whitaker, author of the pivotal book, Anatomy of an Epidemic. I deliberately left space for people to see themselves through the film’s narrative. Feedback at this early stage confirms the approach is working. Viewers are responding by telling their own stories and expressing strong opinions. SAVING MINDS is meant to open the floodgates and to invite everyone interested in mental health care to contribute to the discussion.
On a personal note, I owe my deepest gratitude to the participants of this documentary. I thank them for their courage and trust.
– Catherine Mullins
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
An award-winning director-producer, Catherine Mullins heads Montreal-based Green Lion Productions, which she founded in 1989 for the purpose of producing social-issue documentaries. Distinguished productions include The Human Race – a Species at the Crossroads (series); Untangling the Mind – the Legacy of Dr. Heinz Lehmann; and A Bridge to Mars, about humankind’s quest for Mars. Mullins made her directorial debut in 2005 with Their Brothers’ Keepers – Orphaned by AIDS; followed by the equally powerful feature, Being Innu, about the lives and hopes of Innu youth of Labrador; and They Shine, a follow-up to Their Brothers’ Keepers. Catherine began researching SAVIND MINDS in 2015. It is scheduled for release in 2021.