Cinema, music, painting … All expressions of art try to explain how we are and how we feel at all times.
Likewise, mental health also occupies an important place in culture. Some movies and books reinforce the stigma of mental health, while others help combat prejudice and stereotypes.
We offer you a selection of ten proposals that bring the viewer closer to different mental disorders, through different perspectives and in a responsible way.
Big Fish (2003)
Big Fish is one of the great films of film director Tim Burton. This film, full of magic and many metaphors, explains the story of William Bloom, a journalist who decides to return home after learning that his father is terminally ill, to be by his side and improve their relationship.
On the one hand, the character of the father (Albert Finney) lives with a personality disorder and has spent his life telling stories of his youth, mixing fantasy with reality.
On the other hand, the character of the son wants to really know his father before he dies, so he will be forced to listen to all his adventures and discern between the elements that are true and those that could be the result of mental disorder.
Down to the bone (2017)
Down to the bone is a youth film directed by Marti Noxon and produced by Netflix. In a fresh and entertaining way, the movie tries to explain the disorder of anorexia.
The viewer accompanies the protagonist on her journey of recognition, diagnosis and subsequent treatment of the disease, putting herself in her shoes and living her contradictions.
The young woman will begin an unconventional rehabilitation, in a center where she will create ties with other inmates who also suffer from eating disorders.
Freshwater fish (in saltwater) (2018)
Documentary that portrays what life is like for Mariona, 23, and Marc, 10, both with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
More and more ASD disorders are being diagnosed, but very little is still known about how they work. This film aims to bring together the testimony of two people with autism and their relatives to combat prejudice.
Pequeña Miss Sunshine (2006)
Mental health is often conditioned by low self-esteem. This movie reflects the importance of talking about self-esteem with the little ones, parents and teenagers.
It is a very special dramatic comedy: little Olive does not respond to the beauty standards set by society, but she does not live it like that and wants to enter a beauty contest. Her peculiar family will accompany her on this journey.
What do you feel when you don’t feel anything (Editorial Comanegra, 2017)
This youth novel arises from the literary work of a group of young people with eating disorders and the author Víctor Panicello.
The protagonist is Emma, a young woman who suffers from a sentimental disappointment and begins to develop an obsession with her physique. This exciting story speaks of friendship, self-esteem, love and youth.
The work is made in collaboration with the ABB Foundation, which works to prevent eating disorders among the very young.
The Beaver (2011)
The Beaver (2011) tells the story of a man who suffers from deep depression and does not seem to find anything to help him get back on track in life. Depression is taking you away from your loved ones.
Suddenly one day he finds a stuffed animal in the shape of a beaver in the trash. Little by little, this toy will allow him to recognize his illness, try to overcome it and reconcile with himself.
The film brings us in a kind and original way to depression, a mental disorder suffered by 300 million people around the world, according to WHO data.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
A film classic that portrays life in a psychiatric hospital in the United States in the 1970s. The film aims to denounce the care system that existed then to treat mental health disorders.
Jack Nicholson plays a somewhat rebellious new inpatient. Through his role, the film reviews different mental disorders and, above all, the importance of respecting human dignity in the face of such disorders.
For Thirteen Reasons (2017)
This popular Netflix series addresses mental health from the perspective of teens.
For thirteen reasons tells the story of Clay Jensen, a young man who finds a mysterious box with his name on it: inside is a tape recorded by Hannah Baker, a classmate who committed suicide two weeks ago. In the recording, the young woman tells that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to take her own life.
This Netflix series takes a closer look at the complex issue of teenage suicide and all the reasons why a person can feel so bad that they decide to end their life.
Round trip ticket (Grupo Planeta, 2014)
In this book, author Gemma Lienas speaks to younger audiences about anorexia nervosa, one of the most common eating disorders among adolescents.
The protagonist, Marta, is 16 years old, lives with her parents and her two twin brothers. His days pass between the routine of the institute, his friendship with Claudia and the discovery of love and sex with Ricky. However, things start to go wrong and that leads Marta to become obsessed with her physique.
Inside Out (2015)
A little girl’s mind is feeling too many emotions at once because she is growing up. In a fun and original way, Inside Out shows how our emotions can alter our day to day and life.
Thus, the film manages to explain in a simple way a subject as complex as the management of emotions, a capacity closely linked to mental health.
Work today in the classroom
Junior Report Aula
The Didactic Unit on youth and mental health proposes informative content and free exercises to work in class. It has the collaboration of Ita Salud Mental.
–
