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Out of Mind, Out of Sight

This feature documentary profiles four residents of the Brockville Mental Health Centre, a forensic psychiatric hospital for people who have committed violent crimes. Four patients—two men and two women—struggle to gain control over their lives so they can return to a society that often fears and demonizes them. Shrouded in stigma, institutions like this one are places into which patients disappear from public view for years. Four-time Emmy winner John Kastner was granted unprecedented access to the Brockville facility for 18 months, allowing 46 patients and 75 staff to share their experiences with stunning frankness.
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This feature documentary profiles four residents of the Brockville Mental Health Centre, a forensic psychiatric hospital for people who have committed violent crimes. Four patients—two men and two women—struggle to gain control over their lives so they can return to a society that often fears and demonizes them. Shrouded in stigma, institutions like this one are places into which patients disappear from public view for years.

Four-time Emmy winner John Kastner was granted unprecedented access to the Brockville facility for 18 months, allowing 46 patients and 75 staff to share their experiences with stunning frankness.

 This work deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
Psychology and Psychiatry Law and Crime Social Issues All subjects
  • producer
    John Kastner
    Deborah Parks
    Silva Basmajian
  • director
    John Kastner
  • writer
    John Kastner
  • executive producer
    Silva Basmajian
  • commissioning editor
    Jane Jankovic
  • editor
    Michael Hannan
  • director of photography
    John Westheuser
    Derek Rogers
  • location sound recording
    Doug Kaye
  • composer
    Bruce Fowler
  • associate producer
    Nicole Rogers
  • researcher
    Nicole Rogers
  • additional photography
    John Tran
  • additional sound
    Richard Nault
    Don Stewart
  • location photographer
    Geoff George
  • supervising sound editor
    Stephen Barden
  • recording mixer
    Stephen Barden
  • sound effects editor
    Niall Collins
    Patton Rodrigues
  • dialogue editor
    Ryan Ongara
  • violin
    Wendy Rose
    Angelique Toews
  • viola
    Kent Teeple
  • cello
    Emmanuelle Beaulieu Bergeron
  • bass
    Neil Chapman
  • harp
    Heidi Van Hoesen Gorton
  • music preparation
    Rebecca Pellet
  • music score engineer
    Mike Duncan
  • online editor
    Andrew Mandziuk
  • graphics
    Mark Alberts
  • transcription
    Chris Warren
  • production accountant
    Anne Sinclair
  • production auditor
    Steven Friedman
  • entertainment lawyer
    Gigi Morin
  • publicity
    Jennifer Mair
    David McCaughna
  • production insurance
    Judy Heron
  • production supervisor
    Mark Wilson
  • centre administrator
    Josiah Rothenberg
  • production coordinator
    Rachel Punwassie
  • technical coordinator
    Marcus Matyas
  • marketing manager
    Leslie Stafford
  • independent production officer
    Linda Fong

Education

Ages 18+

Notes

Ideal for essays and debates on the justice system and mental health. To what degree is society responsible for criminals with mental illness? How does your opinion of the subjects in this film change as you watch it? Is justice a matter of incarcerating people or rehabilitating them? Research the history of mental health and criminality. How have our perspectives changed over time? How does the filmmaker feel about this institution and its patients? How does he communicate this?

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Out of Mind, Out of Sight
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