Introduction

The introductory chapter presents contextual background to the book. It begins by discussing the impact of the long 1960s on prevailing attitudes to mental illness, and the various important new studies on psychiatric institutions, schizophrenia, sexuality, and social psychology that attracted a general as well as specialised readership at that time. It then considers how the field of documentary filmmaking was also undergoing its own transformations in the post-war period. Consistent with the contemporary culture of political activism, documentary filmmaking became increasingly instrumental in struggles for social justice, and cultural representation. Inevitably, this activism often involved supporting specific mental healthcare reforms and promoting the development of progressive therapeutic communities.