"Oh, com'mon!" June 4, 2011

I don't think about depression or anxiety very often. I haven't suffered from either in a long time, and they don't hang over me the way they used to. But sometimes little thinks trigger me, and loom over me for a while.

YouTube has added this new feature that lets you watch movies on the website. They have a crap ton of free ones, (as well as films you have to pay for) most of them documentaries. And since I quite fancy documentaries, I picked one entitled A Summer in the Cage. It chronicles Sam, a manic-depressive 30-something dealing with this illness. Going on and off meds, spiraling in and out in life. It really is a breathtaking story that raises many fascinating questions.

And while I think the film was done very well, and with all good intentions, it is rather exploitative. It shows off mental illness in a negative light, really. Putting people with Manic Depression/ Bipolar disorder in a kind of box. But it does, until the end, appear to help Sam. And we can never really know if the things he said at the end were from a manic episode, or how he actually felt. I mean, there's no doubt he was in a episode, but we can never fully know the truth. In the end, Sam was using the project as a scapegoat, rather than as an opportunity to grow.

One huge question (That the filmmaker still doesn't know how to answer) is when to documentary filmmakers turn the camera off? When do you end a story? Especially one like this.
Anyway, it's an interesting question that I would love to hear your opinions on.

So go watch the documentary, you can find it (legally) and free here.

Today I saw: Sarah's (infamous) brother. A curious specimen.

Today I heard: The Potential Breakup Song by Ally and AJ. Do you remember that song? Good days.

Today I smelled: Adorably fat cats: Tom and Peaches. On a side note, my new female cat is currently nameless. Name ideas?

Today I touched: My nameless cat. What a sweetie.

Today I tasted: So much food. Fatty, fatty food. Delicious!