Mental: Diagnosis and The Mental Illness Experience

The plot

Mental is an exploration of mental illness experience as it compares to the construct of mental illness diagnosis. The film follows Hannah, a dynamic college senior, as she navigates her five diagnosed mental illnesses at Brandeis University. Hannah’s journey with her past, her environment, and her everyday struggles offers an intimate look at her psychology, and challenges the notion that complex mental illnesses can be reduced to descriptions found in a controversial guidebook. The film’s artistic cinematography captures the subtleties of Hannah’s illness experience, and paints an emotional picture of what it means to live with mental illness. 

 Hannah’s story is contextualized by interviews with two experts in the field. Set against a black background, the interviews critique the psychiatric diagnostic system, despite its ability to validate people experiencing mental illness. They discuss the diagnostic system’s rudimentary understanding of mental illness, and the public’s reluctance to criticize or question this system. The film closes with a powerful scene of Hannah performing with her a cappella group, which plays an incredibly therapeutic role in her journey. This final scene encourages viewers to open their minds to understandings of mental illness that go beyond our primitive diagnostic system, and make room for less conventional ways of healing mental illness. 

• Age Rating General (12 and under)
• Running time 00:20:59 mins



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