Canada 2022, 113 min, Dir: Wendy Hill-Tout
Insanity is both a personal POV documentary about director Wendy Hill-Tout’s and her family’s experience with her brother Bruce, who had schizophrenia and disappeared over 25 years ago. Bruce had a normal childhood, but in his 20’s developed the illness. At one point he ended up in Florida, eating out of garbage cans, when he was picked up by police and brought to a hospital. It was the first time the family found out Bruce had an illness – schizophrenia. Years later, Bruce disappeared again, only this time, the family never saw him again.
The documentary is also a look at the country’s mental health crisis, with shocking numbers of people suffering from mental health issues in jails, the justice system, and in the streets – and being shot by police. It is a plea to do better as a society – to treat those with a mental illness as human beings and provide appropriate services.
No Metro Passes. Q&A following the screening.
