12 Days

A 2013 French law mandates that anyone involuntarily committed for mental health treatment in the country must have a hearing before a judge after 12 days to determine whether their confinement should be extended. Filmmaker Raymond Depardon’s documentary, shot at the Le Vinatier psychiatric hospital near Lyon, offers a glimpse of the process in a series of sessions before several of the so-called "judges of liberties and detention," who converse with patients and study their psychiatric reports before making decisions (appeals of which are always permitted). The camera also prowls the institution’s hallways and grounds, occasionally providing glimpses of residents walking about (or capturing the sounds of screaming behind closed doors). The proceedings are fascinating, as the judges—who repeatedly point out they are not physicians—prod patients to discuss why they, for example, attacked strangers on the street or attempted suicide. Almost invariably the patients ask to be released, claiming either that their motives have been misunderstood, or their personal crises are over, or they would benefit more from outpatient services elsewhere. In virtually every case, however, the decision goes against them; in one case, a judge observes, a man loudly objected to being persecuted and asked to return to live with his father, who he later killed. 12 Days offers a poignant portrayal of psychologically damaged people and one society’s efforts to provide humane treatment. Also included here are two more feature-length documentaries by Depardon: Jounral de France (2012) and France (Les Habitants) (2015). Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)