Phil Borges is an award winning photographer and documentary film maker who has spent many years photographing and documenting the practices of indigenous and tribal peoples. He observed the mystical practices of the shamans (healers) who command a respected place in their cultures, and then he wondered: Where are the healers and the shamans in our western cultures? Many of them he found on the streets, a sad commentary on our go-it-alone culture.
From the CRAZYWISE synopsis:
Through interviews with renowned mental health professionals including Gabor Mate, MD, Robert Whitaker, and Roshi Joan Halifax, PhD, Phil explores the growing severity of the mental health crisis in America dominated by biomedical psychiatry. He discovers a growing movement of professionals and psychiatric survivors who demand alternative treatments that focus on recovery, nurturing social connections, and finding meaning.
CRAZYWISE follows two young Americans diagnosed with “mental illness.” Adam, 27, suffers devastating side effects from medications before embracing meditation in hopes of recovery. Ekhaya, 32, survives childhood molestation and several suicide attempts before spiritual training to become a traditional South African healer gives her suffering meaning and brings a deeper purpose to her life.
CRAZYWISE doesn’t aim to over-romanticize indigenous wisdom, or completely condemn Western treatment. Not enery indigenous person who has a crisis becomes a shaman. And many individuals benefit from Western medications.
CRAZYWISE is intended to heighten our awareness of how we treat our mentally ill in western cultures and it proposes solutions. Please watch this paradigm changing film, and spread the word!
This film is available until March 28: https://vimeo.com/201079582/37ea6dd390
A townhall meeting surr0unding the launch of the film can be viewed viewed on YouTube. You can also find it on the CRAZYWISE website.
I would like to read ROSSA FORBES’ book n also get her contact details to talk over the phone, as my son is suffering from the same problem.
Please respond soon to my mail address below.