Someone walking in during this Canadian documentary on mental illness might assume it's a new episode of MTV's Real World with a Montreal cast. The lives of three college students, each suffering from a mental disorder, have been meticulously chronicled on video as they attend class, hang out, and interact with friends and family. The creators have employed all the Real World affectations--guitar twang between segments; jerky, low-angle camcorder action on jaunts around town; confessional voice-overs; dramatic confrontations, etc.--to set a contemporary mood and to establish a rapport between viewer and subject. Not surprisingly, the fishbowl filmmaking method works and we soon become fascinated with the three principals: Shely, who feels stigmatized by society because of her mental illness; Simon, a schizophrenic, who, despite anti-psychotic "meds," still hears an assortment of inner voices; and the manic-depressive Ariadne, who prefers sleeping all day to getting up and on with her life. The fact these three twentysomethings appear normal--well, maybe a little self-absorbed and prone to slack--illustrates the common misconception about mental illness that its victims aren't really ill, just weak in character. Other myths and stereotypes concerning mental disorders are also probed in this effective video, which breaks tradition by using a hip, cutting-edge format to present its portrait of coping. (Note: the program contains some street language). Recommended. Aud: H, C, P (W. Pierce)
First Break
(1997) 50 min. $195 (study guide included). National Film Board of Canada. PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. Vol. 13, Issue 5
First Break
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