Hidden Pictures: A Personal Journey into Global Mental Health
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 – 7:30pm
USA 2013. Director: Delaney Ruston
VANCOUVER PREMIERE! The statistics are staggering. According to the World Health Organization, as many as 450 million people worldwide suffer from mental illness. Access to care depends on where you reside: in the developing world, fully 80% of those experiencing a severe mental disorder receive no treatment at all. Lack of funding, education, and the prevalence of stigma all contribute to this dire state of affairs — a situation compassionately explored in physician/filmmaker Delaney Ruston’s latest film, Hidden Pictures.
Travelling to four continents, Ruston uncovers some unforgettable stories. In India, a family ashamed of their adult daughter’s schizophrenia keep her a virtual prisoner in their home. In South Africa, traditional beliefs in possession by evil spirits as the cause of mental illness still hold sway. In China, a family abandons their (seemingly sane) son to a mental institution for eight years against his will. In France, a man recovered from a severe depression finds it impossible to find work or acceptance. And in the United States, a man homeless for ten years receives life-changing help not from “the system,” but from a total stranger. Concluding with an exploration of how people around the globe are working towards positive change, Hidden Pictures is a wake-up call to the world. Colour, HDCAM, in English and multiple languages with English subtitles. 57 mins.
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Due to unforeseen circumstances, filmmaker Delaney Ruston will no longer be in attendance for the evening. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Shafik Dharamsi of the UBC Faculty of Medicine for the post-screening discussion. Dr. Dharamsi leads the Faculty of Medicine Social Accountability and Community Engagement Initiative, and the Global Health Network at the Liu Institute for Global Issues. His work focuses on the social factors that effect health and illness, the social responsibility of healthcare professionals, and social accountability of medical schools.
Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia.