A group film and TV production students from the University of Hertfordshire are wrapping up a documentary about schizophrenia.
Their final film, Pictures Inside My Mind, is a documentary following a Portuguese man who has recently started using film to manage his delusions.
The students, who are in their final year, wanted to shatter misconceptions of mental health and the stigma surrounding individuals with schizophrenia.
Director Beatriz Amado said the documentary was important
“because it breaks the stereotypes on how mental illness is portrayed in film and TV, instead it shows the reality of living with it”.
The documentary takes place in Centro de Apoio Social Pisão in Portugal, an institution with over 300 residents with varying severities of mental illnesses and disability. Their objectives are to promote independence and individuality as much as possible, ensuring accommodation, psychosocial treatment, healthcare, hygiene, and comfort needs are met.
As representatives of Pisão, Maria João Nogueira, Soraia Brito and Anabela Gomes released a joint statement welcoming the documentary as “an open door to social inclusion” with the view that it will demystify “prejudices and stereotypes that are still related to mental health”.
The students behind Pictures Inside My Mind are running a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the production. The campaign has different rewards available for different donation amounts. Included in the higher reward tiers are crafts made by the residents of Pisão, such as wooden houses and paper-maché dolls.
You can donate to their IndieGoGo campaign here.
