Traditional long term psychiatric hospitals are being closed and demolished: the grounds they occupied are being landscaped or resurfaced. All evidence of their previous function is being erased. In this film we enter the buildings shortly after their closure. By close observation of everyday living spaces--wallpaper, chairs, baths, and the ubiquitous 'cheery' prints on the walls--the film provides a unique insight into the stifled reality of life in these institutions. David Appleman is an artist and writer, in 1998 he started photographing/filming hospital institutions. His eclectic attitude to his work has created many different forms of art on the subject of psychiatric hospitals and other hospital institutions - 'I don't consider myself an [outsider artist] but I know my subjects are'.
This film documents the experiences of James Lappin who spent over 70 years in institutions for people with Learning Difficulties in Scotland. Utilising interview footage of James and others and archive photographs, the documentary tries to exhibit several perspectives of institutional care in the 20th century rather than a straightforward condemnation. This is done through the presentation of a triptych of edits using similar sources but displaying alternative viewpoints. A cop out or an alternate delivery prompting considered thought on a complex subject?
Naomi lives alone with her manic-depressive mother. Despite the difficulties that the illness causes, they learn to deal with it and its unavoidable reality. This film openly discusses their feelings, their common everyday joys, and their fears of a hereditary illness.
See Me was created with a working group of the homeless in Aberdeen with the support of The Lemon Tree and their Drama Development worker Alexandria Patience. See Me finds a way for the homeless to be comfortable enough to voice their concerns about their lives and in particular their access to support from health services in the UK.
This video is a tribute to Pete Shaughnessy, co-founder of Mad Pride, who tragically took his own life in 2002. Pete achieved a great deal during his lifetime. In addition to being the most influential mental health survivor campaigner and media spokesperson in Britain from the late 90's until his death, he was a father, husband, stepfather, actor, care worker, overall philanthropist, man-about-town and many other things beside. This video concentrates mostly on Pete's mad activism, the face he usually showed to video cameras. Pete, as is widely known and documented, kick-started many campaigning and caring groups including Mad Pride, Reclaim Bedlam, Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Mental Health Support Group and Southwark Mind. Pete was one of the first few mad activists to realise that direct action, humour, glamour and punk rock were the ways forward to make mental health the first great civil rights movement of the 21st century. He pursued his vision ruthlessly, dynamically and without compromise, pushing the boundaries of common sense at every opportunity and now the social standing and self-confidence of psychiatric patients are that bit better for his having been there.
Mad Pride, Box 26, 136-138 Kingsland High St, London, E8 2NS madpridelondon@hotmail.com
'Discussion'
Guest Speakers: Glasgow Association for Mental Health; Simon Barnett, MadPride
Filmmakers: David Appleman, Catherine Rogan, Alexandria Patience, Howard Mitchell