I am so happy to see that bipolar is coming out of the closet. One dramatic example of that is the movie Touched with Fire. In it, filmmaker Paul Dalio tries to share the lived experience of bipolar with the world.
He strives to share the beauty as well as the pain of bipolar, relying heavily on the imagery of Vincent Van Gogh as a motif.
The movie, like bipolar, and certainly like Vincent Van Gogh’s life, is an intense experience. Perhaps not something to watch if you are currently wrestling with depression and feeling overwhelmed with life.
But it may be helpful to share with a friend or loved one who is trying to understand.
And, of course, we love the notion of living creatively with bipolar… Paul says the most important thing is to “learn how to thrive in it. Not just get by in it, and not to be destroyed by it.”
This is the trailer for the movie Touched with Fire.
Paul talks about the film and why and how he made it in this brief video clip.
For More Information
Patients Like Me is a good place to go to connect with others with bipolar.
Kathy Lechter is another filmmaker who created a film about bipolar, in this case about her mother’s struggle. We interviewed her last year.
Keith O’Neill talks about Stigma and Bipolar.
Stigma Busters is a campaign to fight stigma.