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The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 – 7:30pm
USA 2005. Director:
Jeff Feuerzeig.

The Devil and Daniel JohnstonDavid Bowie, Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, Beck, Matt Goening,
the late Kurt Cobain and an ever-growing cult audience are just some
of the fans of Daniel Johnton. An exemplar of brilliance
and madness going hand in hand, Johnston is an indie-rock cult figure
and cartoonist who has had a life marked by wild fluctuations, numerous
downward spirals, and periodic respites from his severe mental illness
(he’s been diagnosed with manic depression).

Director Jeff Feuerzeig won a well-deserved
Best Director award at Sundance last year for his long-in-the-making
The Devil and Daniel Johnston, an illuminating
chronicle of Johnston’s origins, rise to fame, disastrous breakdowns,
paranoid delusions, painful redemption, and eventual elevation to unlikely
living legend status.The film artfully melds current footage, vintage
performances, home movies, and dozens of recorded audiotapes from Johnston’s
life. Testimony from supportive friends and a deeply committed family
adds a rich layer to Johnston’s personal history, but his poetic songs
tell their own passionate, haunting, and truly unforgettable story.
Now in his mid-forties, Johnston has recorded over ten full-length albums
and grown into a prolific and internationally acclaimed visual artist.
Colour, 35mm. 110 mins.

“When you come to Sundance,
it’s with the hope of seeing a film like The Devil and Daniel Johnston,
a near-brilliant portrait of a tortured, artistic genius”
(Film Threat)

Frames of Mind is a monthly film event utilizing film
and video to promote professional and community education on issues
pertaining to mental health and illness.

Post-screening discussion between
Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Director of Continuing Medical Education and
Professional Development, Department of Psychiatry, University of British
Columbia and Luke Meat, CiTR 101.9FM Music Director.

Co-sponsored by CiTR 101.9FM, Discorder, and
Big Smash! Music film Festival.The media sponsor of Frames of Mind is
The Ubyssey.