Exploring the world of a mental health clinic in Japan through the eyes of patients, doctors, staff, volunteers and home-helpers, Mental gets to know men and women of all ages and backgrounds dealing with mental health disorders. They include a businessman suffering from burn-out, a woman with an eating disorder stemming from comments that her legs were too fat and a mother who took her own child's life. Each has their own way of dealing with their illness, ranging from religion and philosopy to creativity. Treating them is Masatomo Yamamoto, a doctor trying to support patients so they can exist in society. Closely depicting the daily lives of patients - revealing their struggles, anxieties and moments of joy - and the difficulties in maintaining mental health services in the face of budget deficits, Mental is a complex, rewarding and eye-opening film.
Also showing as part of our Kazuhiro Soda season - The Big House, Campaign, Peace, Inland Sea
dir. Kazuhiro Soda
year: 2008
country: Japan
run-time: 120 minutes
Doors 18:45
Film 19:15
£6.00 (£4.50 conc.)
“Though the film is noted for breaking Japanese taboo-powered silence about mental illness, I haven’t seen many American documentaries as devoted to stalled-out minds”
“Ought to be seen by anyone interested in how minds can become sick — and be cured”
“An unflinching but humane documentary filled with compassion, humour, despair and hope”
“Unforgettable... a documentary on what it means to offer care... and to be a doctor... represent(s) more clearly than any theoretical discussion the infinite possible meanings of ‘mentally ill’ and ‘mentally sound’ across different situations and worlds, and from one individual to the other”