About Insight in Mind
The film was first produced as a 27 minute video with an accompanying booklet. It was made available as a DVD in 2008 with chapters and subtitle options. Downloadable resources replace the information in the original booklet and to bring it up to date. The script is also available along with an A4 poster of images from the film.
About the Film
‘Insight In Mind’ vividly demonstrates how it feels to experience highs and lows, through the use of poetry, visual imagery, photography, animation and music; taking the viewer on an emotional and informative journey.
The 14 poetic pieces are interwoven with the voices of survivors and carers, talking openly about their experiences, married with artworks contributed from mental health survivors.
Throughout the film, with the exception of two performers, everyone you see or hear has personal experience of bipolar disorder or depression, or are carers for people who have these experiences. This includes the recorded voice-overs which were edited together from interviews with survivors and carers. Alongside these spoken sections of the film are over 200 artworks by survivors of bipolar disorder or depression. The poems and artworks were selected from material contributed during the research undertaken by ‘Swings and Roundabouts’.
Booklet
The accompanying booklet emphasises the creative expression of the film. The original booklet which comes with the video also includes advice and suggestions for people experiencing mania or depression, as a survivor or carer of any kind. The information was compiled from suggestions put forward by survivors, carers, groups and organisations in answer to research questionnaires as well as more direct group research. This information has now been updated and can be downloaded from the resource page.
Project Aims and hopes
The aim of the project was to enable carers, health professionals, family and friends to focus on the emotional and practical needs of individuals in distress, and to challenge stereotypes, attitudes and prejudices.
The film is very direct, and does give quite vivid and direct accounts. We wanted to show others how it does feel to experience the depths and heights of emotions during mania and depression. We hope that in promoting a better understanding of these feelings amongst others, they will be able to better support and understand during times of difficulties.
Although some experiences of mania and depression may be similar for some people, generally episodes, symptoms and emotions are experienced differently. We have shown some peoples experiences through the film. In doing so, we hope to promote insight and discussion, but we know that although we have aimed to give a balanced view of a many varied experience, these are still personal experiences and will not be true or helpful for everyone.
Copyright Notice
The contents of this website are copyright © Swings and Roundabouts 2000 – 2008. You may download and print extracts from this website for your own personal non-commercial use and for training purposes. You may also recopy downloaded extracts to others provided you do not do so for profit. However, reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited unless for personal use. None of the content of this website may be copied or otherwise incorporated into or stored in any other medium in any form without prior written permission of Swings and Roundabouts.
