A Sister’s Call
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 – 7:30 pm
USA 2012. Directors: Rebecca Schaper, Kyle Tekiela
VANCOUVER PREMIERE! In 1977, Call Richmond, in his early twenties and only a few months from college graduation, disappeared from the life of his upper-middle-class Atlanta family. Over the next 20 years, only the occasional phone call convinced the family that he was still alive. And then, suddenly, Call reappeared — homeless, unkempt, and plagued by paranoid schizophrenia. A Sister’s Call, filmed over the next 14 years, is the story of Call and of his younger sister Rebecca’s struggle to “bring him back to life.” The film chronicles the trials and tribulations — conflicting diagnoses, fluctuating medication levels, accessing housing and community services — Rebecca faces in getting Call the treatment he desperately needs. Even with proper care and his sister’s dedication, Call goes off his meds and occasionally lands a psychiatric hospital. As Call’s recovery progresses in fits and starts, and as his history is revealed, long-buried secrets of this seemingly perfect family are uncovered. What begins as one woman’s journey to save her brother evolves into a much larger tale of familial healing, determination, and resilience. “A haunting exploration of the meaning of family. It unpacks its secrets slowly and to devastating effect. The characters will stay with you long after you leave the theatre” (Michael Dunaway, PASTE Magazine). Colour, HDCAM. 77 mins.
Post-screening discussion with Dr. Randall F. White, a psychiatrist and the medical director of the B.C. Psychosis Program at UBC Hospital. Dr. White is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at UBC and a medical writer who contributes to Medscape.com. He also maintains a blog related to psychosis at bcpsychosis.org.
Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia.