User Reviews

Picture this: the shadow of a woman, oscillating slow and steady on a rocking chair. Her long, disorderly hair unraveled down the back of the seat. Your first thought? She must be a little crazy. As much as it goes against the idealistic "don't judge a book by its cover" attitude, I have to admit that was my first thought when the brief scene appeared in Dialogues With Madwomen, a film produced by Allie Light. Dialogues With Madwomen is a documentary that features segments of interviews with seven different women. The women have all been diagnosed with varying forms of mental illnesses and speak openly about their life experiences. Dialogues With Madwomen is not simply just a documentary confronting mental illness but it is a tactical approach to unpacking the complexity of the lives people with such illnesses for a society that needs to expand their knowledge of this subculture. Allie Light's Dialogues With Madmen was produced in 1994 and featured seven women that were interviewed individually and let the viewer into their personal lives, which were more times than not, dark and traumatic. The film was a compilation of the interviewees speaking and footage of homemade videos, images, and re-enactments of various scenes that were discussed in the dialogs. A notable trend throughout the women was that each one had experiences in their childhoods that stayed with them for life. Whether it was mean nuns and Catholic school where girls thought self-mutilation and dying were good, abusive parents that didn't show any interest in wanting their children or that lacked the abilities to create a healthy environment for a child, isolation due to race, or simply not being able to have the innocence you deserve as a child. All of the women reacted to these experiences and others with varying methods. The film illustrates what the lives of those who have Manic depression, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, and multiple personalities disorder entail. Each woman spoke with raw honesty that allowed a new perspective to be seen but also served as an excellent gateway into the understanding of mental illnesses. At first, their bluntness came as a shock but it becomes easier to delve into and process. Some of the traumas they have gone through seem so difficult that it is hard to not distance one's self instead of connecting to them. Statements along the lines of "You have to forget in order to survive as a child" and "Innocence wasn't existent. That's one of the worst things you can do to a kid" struck a heart-string and allowed there to be a personal reflection about the life I have led. These types of connections are important to make, especially in a setting such as a psychology class. It is the small relations that an individual makes that can have an overpowering effect on their thought processes. It is only then that the individual can make a difference in other's lives and lead the way to a new understanding of something that may be unfamiliar to the masses and that is where change originates.

The way in which Dialogues With Madmen was shot diminished any struggle there originally was to see the women as a part of this functioning society. Society often has a negative reaction to those who do not fit the "normal," "healthy," "functioning" expectation. Being able to see this group of strong, intelligent, powerful women sit in front of a camera and eloquently and articulately express their deepest emotional trials and tribulations serves as a breaking of a barrier between "us" and "them." They tell us about their darkest fears, the most horrid memories, and the ways in which they learned to handle them. Their ability to analyze their experiences speaks to the notion that there is more to mental illness than we often think and in a society where these people are disregarded and dismissed there must be communication and a transcending of boundaries. In order to understand and have the ability to step into their world, they must be viewed as the resilient human beings they are, not as an obscure subculture.

The films purpose was not to intimidate the viewer or expose mental illnesses and trauma but it was to intertwine the worlds that "madwomen" live in with the world that the rest of us live in. The realization is that these completely different experiences are happening in the same environment as those that are going along with their lives and their nine to five jobs. The seven women in the film are reacting to the same world that we live in but they have unfortunately been exposed to more ugliness than one can imagine and often from a very young age. The film should not discourage the viewer and should not serve as another way to differentiate themselves from these women. It's purpose should be to demonstrate how some people can go through so much, can suffer so much, and yet still find ways to survive. That is what the main takeaway was. That there are different paths that we all take, some with more bumps in the road than others, but for these women it has proved their strength and power that they are still here, still living, and still finding ways to enjoy life. Whether it is rocking in a rocking chair as an escape from reality or dancing in a field, singing in an echoing staircase, they are intelligently facing all that life throws at them. The fact that they can still smile, still laugh, still dance and sing, still find meaning in life is truly admirable.

It is important for people to watch this film, especially in a setting where the concepts can be unpacked and discussed further. For some it may have been a struggle to get through the film but it is a learning experience that opens up a new perspective that can ignite change.

Often those who deal with sexual assault at a young age will later on lead a life full of psychological disorders. They will often feel silenced by the child abuse, especially when the survivors are women, who are already a silenced majority. The film Dialogues with Mad Women represents the silence that many women must deal with in their lives, and how that silence bubbles up in the form of psychological disorders. The women portrayed in this film haven't all dealt with sexual assault, but all have dealt with some form of oppression in their life, which lead them to deal with issues such as schizophrenia, multiple personalities, and manic depression. This film allows these women to break their silence, and thus provides a powerful narrative of the issues that all women face in their lifetime.

This film is composed of interviews with different women, all of whom have dealt with some form of psychological distress and/or disorder. They all open up about their lives and reveal some very disturbing details of their childhood. Many grew up having to deal with sexual assault and incest, racism, and overall oppression. These stories are emphasized with reenactments, many which include the women themselves. They explain not only their situations, but also their feelings at the time and later on in life. They discuss how their disorders developed, and what they did to seek treatment. In some cases stereotypical treatment did not help them. One woman, Deedee, described her therapist molesting her and then drugging her into silence. Most of these women describe people taking advantage of their situations and silence, which only exacerbate the issues that they face. Sometimes these women were harmed by the people around them, those who were close to them, which feed their silence. One woman describes how her father would beat her and rape her, and how her mother only became jealous of their "sexual relationship." This happened at such a young age that this woman had trouble developing healthy sexual relationships for the rest of her life. These horrific issues are only followed by more silence and more oppression. This film allows the women to explain their situations from their point of view, and explain how they have begun to heal themselves from these disorders.

This film is powerful overall, though some instances could have used more evidence. There were two women who talked about racism, which I believe is a very important and prevalent topic. I believe that this topic could have had more depth. In addition, this film could have touched on a larger range of issues, possibly including more information about homophobia, everyday sexism, or gender identity. The film also could have provided more closure on the women, since the viewers only find out the fate of one, Karen, who was tragically murdered in her home. Information on where the women are presently in their lives would have given the audience an understanding of how women can rise above the issues in their lives to become more self-aware, even if that entails them being institutionalized. Overall, though, the topics that were discussed are issues that are still present today and dealt with by many women.

This film is based on real events and real emotions, which I believe make it a very powerful and important film. These interviews, along with the dramatizations, allow the viewer to understand what these women were going through. Most of the issues that were discussed are issues that many women face today, including sexual assault, racism, and overall oppression. The issues that these women face are issues that every woman has dealt with, in most cases on a far less traumatic scale, in their lifetime. Most of the power that stems from this film is due to the relatable issues that these women present. For example, two women in particular discussed issues of race. Karen discussed how she was the only Asian student in her class, and how she was ostracized for it. Her peers did not acknowledge her and when they did it was to call her a "commie." Her hard-hitting testimony provides an insight into the issues of inter-racial relations that women face. Not only are these issues, including racism, still very prevalent in our society, they also represent the overall silencing of women. This documentary stands out not only because it interviews women only, but also because it gives voice to the "madwomen" of the world, who are silenced even more. Instead of showing these women as "crazy" or "hysterical," this film shows them all as being an important part of society.

Overall, this film provides a powerful testament to the oppression of women in society. These women explain their real-life issues, and how they developed and dealt with the psychological distress that resulted. Watching this film provides the audience with various issues to relate to, and how these issues have lasting impressions on the individuals that are being affected. The audience gets to see how these women developed psychological disorders, and how they have begun to live with their disorders and how they can still find themselves and their voices. This is an important film for any woman to see as these issues are so true, even to this day, and that these "madwomen" still have voices and should be heard.

What is normal? What is mad? What makes one person an acceptable part of society, and another an outcast? The movie "Dialogues with Madwomen," begins to probe at these questions, and how the line between normal and mad is not a clear cut as we might want to think. The film provides an in-depth look at mental illness as real women suffering from various disorders, including schizophrenia, manic depression, and multiple personality disorder, discuss their experiences in life. After reflecting on the truly difficult lives all these women experienced, it is hard to label them as mad or crazy. Maybe they are just having a sane, normal reaction to impossible life situations and traumas. The film, "Dialogues with Madwomen", explores mental illness among women in a way that presents it as more than just a disorder, but as a reasonable response.

The film consists of interviews with several women, who all have dealt with mental disorders or psychological distress in their lives. These women recount stories of trauma from their childhood through young adulthood; many open up about sexual assault and oppression they have faced in their lives. These stories are emphasized with reenactments by the women and their feelings about the events now, as they look back. The director of the film, Allie Light, focused on making the interviews unrelated, so the focus and direction of the film felt jumpy and unorganized. This helped to demonstrate a small piece of the madness these women experienced, and give a look into how women in the video experience the world. The interviews also cove how these women developed their disorders, and what they did to seek treatment. In some cases stereotypical treatment did not help them.

Almost every one of the women brought up the drug Thorazine and how negative of an experience they had with this medication. For a method of treatment, none of the women actually thought it brought them any relief. One woman discussed how the hospital would have a "Thorazine dance" where everyone was like zombies, and drugged patients danced with their psychiatrists. Another woman even blamed the drugs for taking away her hope, and effectively causing her despair and depression. It was amazing to see how poor of treatment these women received, which only served to make their experiences in life even more difficult.

The film is based entirely on these women's real experiences. It is not a mad up story or being retold by actors, but are regular women opening up and sharing their very real stories. The truth behind these stories is what makes the film so powerful and effective. As these women reflect back on their lives, they are not portrayed as "mad", "crazy", or "hysterical". Instead female viewers can relate to these experiences and begin to understand why these women developed the disorders they did. Most of the women had experienced sexual assault at some point in their lives and developed a disconnect from their sexuality. The abuse they had suffered as children, specifically, had such a strong and lasting impact on them that they still had issues with the subject at the time of the film. One woman explained how she could not even think of herself as a woman most of the time, but only as man in drag. Viewers hear the vivid descriptions of the trauma these women endured and are able to see that their mental illness and disconnects were not abnormal reactions, but a way to protect themselves.

A common thread among all the women was that they all wanted to gain control; whether this was by cutting or creating multiple personalities, it was the most logical solution these women could develop. This film did not describe the illnesses these women suffered from by their official names, a list of symptoms, or the diagnostic criteria. The facts of the illnesses were ignored and instead the women's experiences took center stage. The film gave women an outlet to simply talk about what they were feeling, thinking, and experiencing. This resulted in the most accurate descriptions of mental illnesses.

I believe those enrolled in Psychology of Women courses would greatly benefit from watching this film. Students who view this film can see real life applications of mental illness and how it affects women without having the textbook facts interfere. The film tries to break harsh stereotypes and gave the students an opportunity to become more aware of mental illness and its true effects on a woman's life. It helps students to gain insight on why it is important to educate oneself about psychology of women. "Dialogues with Madwomen" presents real women's experiences with mental illness to show that psychological disorders do not make a person "mad", but sometimes normal. These women's stories show how their mental illnesses were a sane and normal response to their life experiences.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health the prevalence of a serious mental illness is significantly higher amongst females as opposed to males. Now consider this, the World Health Organization reports that at least 35% of women worldwide have been the victims of abuse. Although these may seem like arbitrary facts and percentages, Allie Light's movie, Dialogues with Madwomen, proposes an interesting parallel between those with a history of abuse and subsequent mental illness. This film not only brilliantly and simply explains different mental illnesses and what triggered them but it also forces the audience to take note and acknowledge that these women are real and not abstract numbers to be discussed and analyzed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

As the film opens we are introduced to a variety of women who begin to describe their past, most of which deals with some type of abuse. These women describe sexual, mental, physical, and racial abuse and how that abuse triggered something within them. The first of which is a woman who describes the broken home, in which she grew up. Her mother, a religious fanatic was physically and mentally abusive and caused so much psychological distress that this woman felt that her only way out was suicide. That is when she began to self-mutilate. The maltreatment that these women were constantly exposed to, is more than any human being should ever have to endure. These women were forced to a breaking point, which manifested itself in a variety of different mental disorders.

This documentary allows each of the women to recount their experiences that led up to their illness and subsequent diagnosis. What surprised me the most about these women is that although society may view them as crazy and erratic, the reason they fell prey to their mental disorder is so very logical. One woman described the constant sexual and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather as well as the negligence of her own mother. She felt that no one was there to care for her and so she began to dissociate herself from the violence and apathy. She created others within herself to keep her company and to undergo the abuse when she could no longer bear it herself. It was a means of coping and although we may diagnose her with multiple personality disorder it was really the only way in which this woman was able to survive and for that she should be applauded as a survivor not castigated as an insane person.

I found this film to be a powerful summary of all that we have discussed thus far in the Psychology of Women course. Not only does this documentary make the connection between violence against women and psychological distress but it also serves to deconstruct the stigmatization attached to mental disorders. Additionally, it demonstrates the dangers of self- silencing in situations of extreme oppression and violence. I think the director of this film used the interview technique to also show that there is hope for the victims; that you can recover from the traumatic things in your past and you can overcome your subsequent mental illness. This doesn't mean you forget what happened or that those events no longer affect you; they most certainly do. But you can continue to live and there is something more and something better outside what has previously happened to you. Dialogues with Madwomen demonstrates the need for our society recognize not just the short term effects of abuse but the long term effects as well. With graphic flashbacks and narratives that are not laden with medical jargon, the audience is forced to witness the painful memories that these women faced. The film refuses to allow its viewers to retreat and dismiss these women as patients that deserve to be dumped in the psych ward and forgotten. The mental disorders these women have been diagnosed with were simply a cry for help. One woman even admits that her self-mutilation was a way in which she could express what was happening to her. It forced others to take notice. Her self-mutilation was not something that could be ignored. The mental illnesses that plague these women arose out of the horrendous environs, which they were subjected to. This film was able to address these women as women first and their mental illness second which creates the ability to demonstrate that any one of us could have been a victim; these women are just like you and me. We fail as a society to view these people as individuals and take into account their past experiences. We only see their mental illness we don't see the person and we don't see the reasons for their mental illness we just assume it's by chance and thank god that it didn't happen to us. The stigmatization that accompanies having a mental illness is hard to shake. However, shouldn't we be outraged? These women were forced to endure endless violence and oppression yet society treats them as if they are to blame. Our indignation should be aimed at those who have caused such distress, not at those who were lucky enough to survive it.

In Dialogues with Mad Women director Allie Light and producer Irving Saraf bring together several "mad women", (Light included) and tell their stories. Through reenactments, videos and mostly interview Light captures the complex nature of women with mental illness, showcasing that those who live with mental illness are existing with power and levels of creativity that are striking. The women talk with passion, honestly and abandon, detailing the most personal and intimate moments of their lives, without holding anything back. All the women in the film have experienced trauma, mostly during childhood. Through the inability to be freed from their oppression, it is seen as a gateway to mental illnesses. Although not the primary cause, traumatic events in one's lives are seen to trigger mental illness and act as a form of escapism from the oppression one faces. Through the direction of Allie Light, the film details mental illness in a way that is honest and meaningful. The women in the film are allowed to break their silence and transcend the way mental illness is perceived and understood.

In the film the women recount their stories, reflect and explore on their ongoing recovery. The women reveal the experiences that hurt them and helped them, and allow it to be known that there is no group labeled "the mentally ill", but rather a group of diverse, smart, and complex people who lead lives just live everyone else who happen to have a mental illness. The women do not let their diagnosis define them, although their illness is a part of them it is not something that controls them.

The women included come from a range of backgrounds and histories, and there is not one narrative being told. Each woman has her own story, yet there are many commonalities between them. For example, much of the abuse they faced occurred in childhood. Susan's stepfather continuously physical and sexually abused her starting at a young age, while Mairi developed 25 different personalities as a coping mechanism for the abuse she had to face. While the women face the camera and recount their experiences, there are visual aids and reenactments that are viewed as flashbacks. Although these contribute to the retelling of the stories, they may also take away from the expressions and faces of the women, where the real center of the film is.

Through the inclusion of herself, Light was able to change the perspective of the film, in a way that enhanced the power it already had. Here, Light a woman with a mental illness redefines to others what it means to have a mental illness. She illustrates that mental illness does not hinder one's capabilities in life. Light is an award-wining director, who pursued what she wanted despite hesitation and uncertainty from others. Although she struggles with depression she was able to fight it and ultimately help others. Additionally, it is not explicitly stated that she is the director until the end of the film, which I think makes the film more powerful because it expresses that one can do anything they want with their life, and Light is a perfect example of this. By having someone who experienced depression there was an authentic nature to the film that would not have been there otherwise. Light was able to capture the women in a way that did not make them another statistic. She highlighted their stories, their accomplishments and their lives beyond their mental illnesses. There was a space for the women to speak freely, without the worry of their words being twisted, changed or left out.

Through the sharing of personal accounts, the audience is able to gain insight into what it actually means to live with a mental illness. There is still so much stigma surrounding mental illness, but this film provides an opportunity for people to talk about mental illness and find out what it truly means. The women in this film do not shy away from their mental illness, which is really powerful. They have come to terms with their illness and I think their stories will be able to help others suffering and hopefully a dialogue will continue to happen, because mental illness should not have to be stigmatized and people should not be afraid to come forward and talk about it. From being diagnosed with psychological disorders, to living with them, and then being able to find themselves the women in this film highlight a resilient and capable nature, ultimately demonstrating how their testimonies can transcend the way mental illness is perceived and recognized in society.

Dialogues With Mad Women Movie Review Sexual assault and mental illness are two major problems in the world today. In Dialogues with Madwomen, director Allie Light gives the audience a glimpse into the world of several women with histories of mental illness and who were also victims of rape and sexual violence. Many people don't enjoy talking about these subjects because they evoke gritty imagery and are difficult for people to listen to. However, in this film, the director does an excellent job giving the viewer insight as to how it feels to be living with a mental disorder and the discomfort of being sexually violated, making it believable and not overly-dramatic.

From the beginning of the film, Light portrays a dream-like sequence where fabric billows at the top of a tree and a woman's opera-like singing rings throughout the room. The credits roll and the music continues along with the billowing fabric. Then the scene cuts and the viewer is given a look at the first "madwoman." The direction of the film is quite simple, going from woman to woman and back in a rotating order, hearing accounts of their horrible experiences. One woman talks about how she had a father who was always going overseas to fight in the wars and every time he would come back, he would get her mother pregnant. Afterward, he would go overseas again, leaving her and her siblings with her crazy mother. Eventually her parents split, and her mother got remarried to one of her father's old drinking buddies. This man was always drunk, and he was constantly beating her and her siblings, as well as abusing her sexually. Another woman was in law school and she was at a hot spring with a group of people who were bathing each other in a type of ritualistic practice. The man who was floating her around promised her that he would not try anything sexual, after she had explicitly expressed that she had zero interest in him. After wading her around for a while and making her feel comfortable, the man flipped her over and raped her before she even knew what was happening. All were presented however, in a believable interview-like manner, without dramatic music or over the top imagery in the background. This made it more engaging and allowed the viewer to connect more with the women.

These accounts lead into how these acts of sexual violence and abuse affected these women psychologically. The woman who's stepfather had abused her grew into a beautiful young woman, and found that many men and peers wanted to have sex with her. Explaining that after being treated like a dog for ten years of her life, (the first time she was raped was at three and a half), she didn't give a second thought when someone would express sexual interest. She didn't understand the consequences of sex and didn't understand that she had a choice in the matter. So when someone would as, she didn't hesitate because sex was what she did. That being said, the consequence was that by the time she was fifteen she had already had her first abortion, and she had no idea who the father was. The woman who was raped in law school recounts that whenever someone would approach her in a sexual manner, she would "leave her body," because she couldn't handle anything remotely sexual. She would go out into the woods and dance by herself and sleep there as well. She didn't feel right in school anymore, and she started to not wear shoes and become a "bag lady" as she put it. She started spending a lot of time at the airport, and eventually started sleeping there. These are some of the things that show how sexual abuse affected these women psychologically.

When the movie started I felt confused because Light jumped directly into the stories. The duologue's also jumped from woman to woman and back and forth and here and there, creating a feeling of confusion and madness. I just wanted to say "slow down" and have the director stop for a minute so that I could process everything I had just heard. It was a sensory overload of sorts; a number of accounts, rape stories, women being strapped down and injected with Thorazine, girls cutting themselves open at the shoulders to feel like they had some control over their lives. All of this information was put into such a narrow window of time that although the film wasn't sped up, it felt that way. Light did this to make the viewer feel like they were stepping into the shoes of these women and by doing so allowed a deeper emotional recognition and connection with the stories and the pain that the women in the film felt. I thought this was an excellent technique Light used because without it, the viewers would have left or stopped watching, in my opinion. I say this because the stories are very disturbing, and if they had been fed to the viewer at a slower rate, or in a more organized manner, I don't think it would have grabbed the attention of the viewer in the same way.

Dialogues with Madwomen is a movie about the struggles of women with histories of mental illness as a result of sexual abuse. This movie does an excellent job making the viewer see madness and pain in a realistic light. I think this movie gives really good insight into these women's lives and their struggles, in an engaging way that doesn't make it seem like a sob story. Overall this movie was very good and I would recommend that everyone should watch it at least once.

The make-up of the mind is a unique and a very extraordinary one. As people differ by race, ethnicity, gender and life experiences; so do they in terms of how their thoughts and actions are processed in their mind. This notion became a lot more evident once I watched the film "Dialogues with Madwomen." It is a very heart wrenching film that is based upon real life traumatic events that occurs with each woman in the film; how they processed their experience and how it impacted their life. The film identifies and highlights mental madness and the effects on a person. It reveals the dominant hold a traumatic event can have on a person, thereby shaping their mind and their personality. The audience is allowed into this world where pain is never really understood. As the stories of the woman are told, the women shown in the film exhibited a variety of views that were truly unique. Unique is defined as "existing as the only one or as the sole example" and the uniqueness of each woman's story in his world of pain was a constant thread throughout the film.

"Dialogue with Madwomen," is a 1994 film produced by Allie Light and directed by Irving Saraf. It is a combination home movies and archival footage of women (including Light herself) in psychiatric wards, with vivid re-enactments that is coupled with in-depth interviews with their participants. In this ninety minute film there are seven characters who present their own traumatic experience that happened to them at one point in their life. The first woman is DeeDee, who was molested and taken advantage by many individuals in her Catholic community which she believed was a safe place. And soon after her own doctor took to molesting her as well. Allie, was molested at the young age of five, this traumatic event launched her to commit herself to a mental institution later on in life. Mairi, was repeatedly abused by her own father as well as his friends who all engaged in acts of rape together. Karen, who was a radical activist, was raped and then eventually killed in her own home. R.B, was a very free spirited African American woman who dropped out of school, lost her way in life and was soon sexually abused. Lastly, there was Hannah, who was obsessed with Bob Dylan. Each of these women listed all suffered from a mental illness that stems from a truly traumatic event that happened in their lives. The mental illnesses that are exhibited by these women are, depression, schizophrenia, and multiple personalities.

One of the challenges of the film was keep the focus on the women's story and to constantly engage the audiences' attention. While the six women in the film clearly conveyed their story, the transition from one event to the next could have been better. It would have allowed for the audience to become even more connected with each woman's story. This lack of clear transition from one story to the next could result in the audience feeling overwhelmed by the stories instead of the feeling of compassion and understanding for these women's experiences. If the intent of the film maker was to overwhelm the audience, then it was accomplished which could also in another way lead to an understanding of this world of pain. This actually was my experience because the intensity of the stories so overwhelmed me that I became upset that these horrific things were done to women.

Despite the lack of smooth transition from one story to next, the film was a powerful portrayal of the mental madness. The depiction of how traumatic events in women's can lead to this state will not be lost on the audience. Each story provided a powerful back drop that acted as a gateway into each woman's life and mind. These vivid depictions could allow for the audience to actively engage in the pain that was endured. With each story came a new sense of enlightenment into their world; into this world of mental illness. This film will definitely provide the audience with more insight into what it means to have a mental illness. We all have experiences in life and are not aware of the potential long-term effects of such experiences and as such I would recommend this film for others to watch.

"Dialogue with Madwomen" is a very interesting film, which will allow its audience to gain more insight into the effects of a traumatic event and its impact on an individual's entire life. The film explains the importance of such an experience and how it may occur at any point in one's life. At any given moment all of these women in this film were feeling devastating pain, and were at a loss as to how to deal with it. The importance of conversation is very well exhibited throughout this film, by the act of women's willingness to open up about their traumatic experiences. Being able to open up has allowed for these women to cope with what they have been through; and without this outlet for conversation many of these women would not still be alive today. This is a film that is good for drawing attention to the differences that exist in our world. The individualism of each person's experience is sometimes overlooked. But in this film each woman's mind is different but it's their own mind that is something that cannot be taken from them. Whether or not the traumatic experience has left them understanding themselves more or merely picking up the pieces that have been shattered; it is all a mind of their own.

The documentary titled "Dialogues with Madwomen" is both metaphorical and literal. We sit down with women who are not only mad in the angry sense of the word, but it also translates to the crazy connotation of the word mad., So, we sit down with all these Madwomen who tell us about their lives and one can just see the anger that they carry with them due to experiences they've had as women that also contributes to the theme of mental illness. From the documentary, one can draw so many similarities between these women and their stories due to the psychological effect that social behaviors have on them as individuals who go through life in a female body. More generally, how society has structurally infiltrated and affected these Madwomen by materializing itself in psychologically damaging experiences by having the individuals in their lives project and preform in those societal behaviors (Example: rape culture, sexualizing the developed form of the female body). Another thing that I noticed to be consistently an issue for all of the Mad Women, was how imperative was society's construct of gender and outlook on sex (male gaze, view of mature female body vs immature female bodies, females as sexual objects, sex as something to be taken/given non-consensual...etc. ) brought the noticeable enough effect on all Madwomen's lives for it was a thought to mention, an important part of the story. The effects of how your body their female body had been weaponized against them. This is why we need feminist psychology. Growing up, living and experiencing life inside a female body given the sexual climate of the 50's, 60's and 70's proved to be an unsafe environment that made women vulnerable to the power complex that is inherent to a Patriarchal society. The "outcasts" (non-binary people, gender fluid, queer people, asexual people) are labels ostracized for their queries and present/absent interest in sex and sexuality which are also, oddly coincidental, both causes for being committed into a mental institution. Attitudes towards sex and female bodies from a societal perspective and how that in turn affects how the individual performs gender, acts and carries themselves kept pushing itself into the Madwomen's lives. A prescription from a doctor with a PhD in the form of a single question: "why don't you have a husband?" shifted the attention from the Madwoman's cries for help to shaming her for not obeying the social timeline. Which, this, to the doctor meant that would solve all her problems, a man. This is just one of the many different ways that the Madwoman had society's idea of how they've defined the label/category of female to be, and if she's not married, then that's why she's mad. Committing the Madwoman seemed to be the next step in how society managed this situation. The Madwoman, without the privilege of a PhD trusted the doctor. The decision to not identify any of the Madwomen by name until the closing credits seemed to be intentional. By doing so, as a viewer, your job becomes to consist of just listening. Listening to the story all the Madwomen had to say. Through this tactic, the director created a blur of stories from Madwoman to Madwoman so you could listen to the bigger story: the woman's experience through a lens of psychological distress caused by social/cultural values and behaviors; society's relationship with the topic of sex and its targeted effect on the lives of women in a symptomatic Patriarchal society. One of the most prominent symptoms that a Patriarchal society generates is rape culture. Rape culture is nothing more than men's sense of entitlement to use the female body as a receptacle that only exists for his personal use for pleasure. It assumes that female identifying individuals, who only serve to please, can also be dominated into submission through sex by taking away their victim's control and entering their personal space non-consensually. Violating not only their limits but also their boundaries of personal safety and penetrating motional/mental walls as well. It seemed as though a noticeable majority of the Madwomen made it a point to highlight the fact that as developing teenagers, they noticed that the male gaze upon them brought on a feeling of discomfort, that they had to change the way they carried themselves in order to make themselves less noticeable or susceptible to the discomfort of the male gaze. Society's request for women to have a certain relationship with sex was so inflexible for these Madwomen who ultimately challenged societal values and ideals, became and were alienated and marginalized-labeled Mad and drugged up to the point where they weren't a problem anymore. Madwomen who kept being shut up and let to wither away when they spoke up. Madwomen who have had horrible things happen to them and not even be recognized, let alone treated like a human. Only objects that should be happy and are broken because they aren't; because they'd be better of if they tried harder to fit into the mold that society has created for them to fit into as women. Women who are struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, anxiety, DID...etc. are also having to deal with external forces working against them too. Societal labels of oppression starting with being women. The documentary did an attempt at telling the story of as many intersections of women as possible. Women who have to deal with sexism, ageism, ableism, classism; Women of color who also have to deal with racism, colorism, transgenerational trauma; Queer women having to deal with heteronormativity, gender roles, sexual expression oppression; women with mental disorders who have to deal with stigmas, alienation, marginalization, being silenced. Only a few of the cascading problems that a Patriarchal society instilled in the psychological and emotional health of the Madwomen and still does so today. Societal structures that have been curated, perpetuated, fostered and put in place only translates to a constant pressure that prevents Her from being seen as a mad woman and not a Madwoman.

" I was constantly told that I didn't have the right to be unhappy." When I heard this statement in the documentary Dialogues with Madwomen, Whether it is a mother, neighbor or even a psychiatrist, society can often ostracize or attach stigmas to concepts they cannot understand. Women living with a mental illnesses are continuously attached to different stereotypes that are difficult to over come. They are often misunderstood, victimized and left without a voice. The film, Dialogues with Madwomen, is an incredibly tragic yet enlightening insight into the obstacles seven women, including the director, Allie Light, experienced while living with a mental illness. Light gives the audience a brutally honest and passionate view into the intimate details of these women lives as they reveal their horrific experiences with sexual abuse, homophobia, racism and sexism, which lead to their mental illnesses. By being apart of the film, Light is able to break through the stereotypes attached to the mentally ill. She is able to give these women a voice to tell their story that goes beyond their diagnosis. This film is able to de-stigmatize women with mental illnesses by humanizing their experiences, allowing these seven women to prove they are more than the stigma. Dialogues with Madwomen was released in 1994 by filmmakers Irving Saraf and Allie Light. This film combines the raw substance of the individual interviews with personal reenactments and archival footage of their lives to bring their stories to life. Set in San Francisco, the film depicts the struggles these seven women endured to throughout their lives. The opening scene begins with Dee-Dee, a woman who struggled with trying to stay true to her faith through self- mutilation only to be betrayed by her catholic community. She was molested and drugged by her therapist before she was committed. RB was a law student who dropped out of Stanford to explore nature only to be raped in a hot springs. Eventually causing her decision to be homeless, moving from the woods to the bathrooms in the San Francisco airport. Mairi was sexual abused by her father and his friends throughout her life. In order to cope with the abuse, she created different personalities; " One personality would take the abuse, while another would go to school in the morning." Hannah was a bubbly personality that dealt with schizophrenia and an obsession with Bob Dylan; she publicly read her love letter to him on television. Karen Wong was continuously ostracized and discriminated by Caucasians during her adolescence fueling her hatred for them. Susan was constantly thrown between her parents during her childhood while her stepfather viciously sexually abused her as early as four years old. And lastly, the director, Allie Light was sexually abused at only five years old and consequently developed depression later on as a young mother. These incredibly strong women are able to trace the origins of their mental illnesses from their past traumatic events. Many of these women were sexually assaulted or abused while living in a chaotic household with alcoholic parents. Although not every woman in this film was sexually abused, they all experienced the ordeals of oppression and the desire for control. Whether it was promiscuity, self-mutilation or using drugs, they wanted some sense of control in order to cope. Their illnesses consisted of depression, schizophrenia, multiple personalities, and euphoric or manic states. Even after they were diagnosed they continued to be abused; they were drugged during their time with therapists and time within mental institutions. It took years until any found the right treatment they needed. The audience is able to witness the women not only accepting their illnesses but also their ability to reflect on their past and how far they have come. The Dialogues with Madwomen is an excellent choice for any student who is taking this course or is interested in learning about the non-hereditary aspects that can lead to a mental disorder. This film truly breaks through the stigmas demonstrating how mental illness crosses countless spectrums regardless of race, sexual orientation or socioeconomic class. Because the director of this film has a personal connection with the topic, it influenced the film immensely. Light was able to make every interview so intimate and visually brought their stories to life with reenactments. She created an atmosphere where the audience could truly learn and empathize with the women. The audience is not only able to understand the events that lead to their mental illnesses but also how they were able to overcome them. Light makes this film relatable to any woman with any issue regarding mental disorders. She gives such a vivid description of how depression can affect you as a person. " Depression is no feeling; everything goes away. You don't care about anything anymore." She describes how she stopped caring about her domestic roles as a housewife; she even admitted that she stopped caring about her own children. Depression had such a negative toll on every aspect of her life that she decided to commit herself. Fortunately she was able to overcome her depression and pursue her dream of attending college and became a teacher then director. Light and the other women's stories show that there is hope for stability in life despite having a mental illness. With the right support and freedom to express themselves, they were able to accept and learn to how to cope in a healthier way. As a society, we need to stop treating the mentally ill as second-class citizens. Their stories deserve to be heard with the utmost respect. This documentary allowed these seven women the opportunity to cry, yell, sing, laugh freely and without judgment as they as reveal their traumatic journeys through living with a mental illness. These women show that they are more then the stigma society attaches to them. They are not "mad women", they have a voice and they will be heard.

Imagine needing medicine, pills, and therapy just to be "normal" in society's eyes. Imagine needing help, and those whose job it is to help, do nothing but neglect their power. Imagine if the only option you thought had left was to lay in a pool of your own blood with slit wrists. Allie Light's dark documentary, Dialogues with Madwomen, dives into the lives of seven women who face a variety of mental disorders. One of the seven women actually serves as the director as well as one of the storytellers. Many of the women face more than one of the disorders themselves. This documentary teaches a valuable story of how there is more to someone "acting out". The misbehavior of these women have a long history and back story that only they understand, and we get a glimpse when they tell their stories. Mental disorders are triggered by numerous inevitable things or things they are born with. Some are just less fortunate due to their circumstances. We only see what they let us see in this documentary, but with what they do show, there is a lot to learn.

Overall, this documentary was good and it served a good purpose. Although triggering for some people, I believe that it was real without showing too much gore and horror of reality at the same time. There is a scene with bloody wrists, but if bothered, a viewer can turn for a few moments. I thought it was powerful that each of the woman told her own stories as opposed to one person just telling the stories of other women. We got to see the emotion behind each woman in their face. It was interesting to see how each woman reacted to their own story. They were mostly all animated. A lot of them cried, but there was one woman who always smiled when she was talking about being molested or abused. This made me wonder if it was some sort of coping mechanism. At first, it was disturbing to watch someone talk about such horrible things while smiling, but I think for a moment and try to realize that there is probably a reason for the facial expression. I like how there were reincarnations and visual representations to help back of the stories of the women. It gave a way to further explain how It was also interesting to see the woman in the psych wards because that is very real. 

I did enjoy this film, but there were a few things that I did not like and also there are things that I want more of, not necessarily from this film. For one, with the switching back-and-forth between the women, it was hard to keep up with each person's story. Especially in the beginning, when we were trying to figure out who is who, without names or anything other than what they look like helping, it was hard to figure out which person said what. Although it was for creative purposes, some of the animations seemed random. After more consideration, maybe these more random animations were to tie into the creative aspects that these mental disorders bring out. I wish I would have thought of that while I was viewing the documentary. Another thing that would have been nice to see was all of the woman together at some point. Perhaps this union could have occurred at the end or something. I feel like that would tie into that there are a lot of similarities within these disorders in terms of what triggers them and where they come out of. This point has nothing to do with this documentary specifically, but I would be interested in seeing, not a remake, but a version of this documentary from present day. I want to see if anything has changed with the decade difference. On the contrary, it would be something to see if the same things are as obvious to occur present day.

Essentially, this documentary is a good visual representation of different mental disorders that woman face day to day. It even highlights on the intersection of multiple disorders and how these seven strong women except their disorders and live with them every day. Although some topics are gruesome, they are important to know. Those who do not face mental disorders have no idea what it is like to have your mind do things that are not seen as good for you. This documentary shows a little of how bad it is for this to occur and the traumas that people face day to day. Not only does it show the unfortunate side, some people are able to use their mental disorders for good, like creativity. As someone who cannot personally relate to the women in this film, I learned a bit more about the disorders. Yes, I am constantly surrounded by those who face these issues every day, but most of the people I know do not lay out their traumas and what it is like. With the documentary, I am able to take a step back when I see someone struggling and realize that I do not know what they are going through and what they have been through. As humans, we fear what we do not know. Through Dialogues with Madwomen, the viewers learn enough to normalize mental disorders.

Allie Light's Dialogues with Madwomen is a moving documentary, showcasing the very personal experiences of seven women. This film, which premiered in 1994, presents the stories of women who have each been diagnosed with a different mental disorder. Including herself in the dialogues, Allie Light exposes the very traumatic experiences of these women in order to shine light on the reality and commonalities between them. This film presents a form of expression for each of these women to tell us, the audience, about their development through their lives and how their mental health and traumas affected them. Throughout the film, Light utilizes reenactments of the women's experiences to more graphically throw us into them; however, some of the reenactments are very visceral and graphic including self-harm and images of mental institutions that might be seen as triggering. Although Dialogues with Madwomen very well tells the stories of these women and their trauma, I believe that at times the structure of the film could have been stricter to allow for more understanding.

At the beginning of the film, we are immediately thrown into one woman's story growing up in a family of abuse and her experiences learning about self-harm in a psych ward. We bounce back and forth between the stories of each woman, developing explanations of their childhoods and trauma. I found that hearing each of the stories of these women was a great opportunity to thoroughly understand their specific experiences. It allows us to see how these real woman face living with their mental disorders. However, I believe the structure of the film convolutes each of their stories. I found that I had a very hard time keeping track of each of their experiences and how they played out. I really wish that Light had provided an introduction to this film to clarify some details. I think that the film could have utilized some time to display these women's names along with their diagnoses. Including their diagnoses would allow us to see how they developed through their lives and how their mental disorders affected their experiences. Without this, I found a really hard time seemingly trying to guess what their diagnosis was based on their experiences and symptoms. Although some of them were clear, such as the woman with multiple personality disorder and another with manic depression, the others were so nuanced I had a very hard time following them. While this potentially helpful detail was missed, I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation of each of their stories. These woman are unique, yet their stories reflect the experiences of woman around the world. Each face adversity in regard to their gender, sexuality, and mental health, and they are forced to deal with the effects of their sexual assaults as well as family and relationship abuse. This film provides insight into the lives of real women and how they have lived, and died, relating to their traumas and mental health.

Dialogues with Madwomen is truly a fluid conversation between the storytellers, Light, and the audience. It allows us to peer into what these woman face every single day, and forces us to relive them through their stories and reenactments. In this way, it brings us closer to each of these women. By including herself, Light provides a whole new perspective on the film. She relays how one of her therapists once told her that she would basically not be able to accomplish anything in her life. However, she proves him wrong by creating this narrative film and lists her accomplishments in her life. Also, by putting herself in front of the camera, Light allows us to see another real female experience in recovery and prospering. Progressing through the film, each woman recounts what she did to cope and feel more human, such as singing, dressing in drag, finding communities of support. Each women also has to face the implications of their mental stability and health in terms of their intersecting identities. Some must face how colorism plays into their lives as well as confronting the feminist movement and its lack of lesbian and African American inclusion of women. Thinking about therapy in this aspect, the women were not able to be fully supported through their recoveries. Overall, this film provides a great form of expression to relay the stories of women with these mental disorders, and although I personally think it lacks in some regards structurally, it is an amazing way to learn about and relive their real experiences.

"Dialogues with Madwomen" portrays the reality of women suffering from mental illnesses and the amazing way these experiences ultimately led to self-empowerment and creativity. The film is directly related to many of the readings we have done for this class, such as "Addressing Diversity in the Decade of Behavior: Focus on Women of Color." A Chinese women in the film discusses the racism she faced at a predominantly white school; she explains how she did not fit in with the white students but also did not fit in with the black students. In "Lesbian Feminisms: Historical and Present Possibilities," we learned a basic history of lesbian feminism, including how exclusive the community could be in regard to who was considered a "real" lesbian. One women in the film who identifies as lesbian speaks to how she was not welcomed in the lesbian community due to the taboo around mental illness. "Girlhood and Ethics: The Role of Bodily Integrity" connects to all of the women's experiences because it discusses a topic all women can relate to: the power, or lack thereof, women have over their bodies. In many parts of the women in the film's stories, they describe the helplessness they felt when men were able to dominate, humiliate and control their bodies out of force. The film takes on areas of these topics that I had never been exposed to before, making it a powerful and impactful experience for me. "Dialogues with Madwomen" provides unique perspectives on women's mental health issues by interviewing women whose experiences shape narratives that are not typically heard and understood, which makes it a wise choice of films to watch in a Feminist Psychology class. "Dialogues with Madwomen" is a collection of verbal accounts from women who have experienced deep suffering. The overarching theme in their accounts is the role of abuse in women's lives and how they learned to deal with trauma; every participant shared a story involving them being intensely abused verbally, physically, and/or sexually. Fathers were typically the most violent and disturbed, often as a result of alcoholism or drug abuse, but this abuse came from other parental figures or adults of authority as well, such as teachers, doctors, or religious leaders. The other overarching theme is the lack of understanding of various mental illnesses, which includes schizophrenia, manic depression, and dissociative identity disorder. Women with mental illnesses are extremely mistreated when seeking treatment and are therefore unable to receive the care that they need. Women constantly face invalidation in regard to their struggles, with people telling them that their issues are just in their heads and/or are their own faults. Male doctors commonly sexualize their female patients, which prevents women from being taken seriously and given proper attention. Furthermore, the doctors described in the film were extremely quick to prescribing medication without thoroughly thinking through which would be the most appropriate and effective. The women in the film were often given high doses of medications that make their mental illnesses much more intense and destructive. Multiple personality disorder, now known as dissociative identity disorder, is explained in the film as a way of coping with trauma. There are typically two ways dissociative identity disorder is portrayed: either dramatized in media, or analyzed by professionals. In the media, people with DID are typically depicted as out of control, psychotic individuals that are disturbing in the way they think and interact with other people. They are seen as inhuman, unable to be rational, and a danger to others. In an academic or professional setting, there is ongoing argument around whether DID is real, and what it actually means. Within these conversations, people with DID are seen as the "other," still lacking personal information about what life with DID is actually like. In "Dialogues with Madwomen," one woman talks about her experiences as someone with DID from a personal, emotional perspective. She explains how during her childhood she was frequently emotionally, physically and sexually abused, never having the opportunity to experience the innocence of being a child. Facing neglect and abuse from the important figures in her life, she began creating other people inside her head to take of her. Having multiple personalities was the way her brain processed trauma and was able to cope with it without any outside help. This woman explains her situation in a clear and calm way, rationalizing her experiences, and negating the way media typically portrays people with DID. Furthermore, despite what academics and professionals claim, DID was a definite reality for her, and that reality is not questioned within the film. Through this woman's stories, viewers get to digest the reality of being a woman with a severe mental illness that is typically invalidated and swept under the rug. One of the major topics to explore while studying Feminist Psychology is gender roles and how women perceive and construct their realities as a result of them. All the women in "Dialogues with Madwomen" shed light on their experiences facing male dominance, emphasizing its prevalence in society. One woman describes how as a child, she was born being loud and joyful, unafraid to express herself and be who she was. However, she explains that over time she learned to be quieter and speak her mind less, unsure of what her place was in the world. This a common experience for women as a result of skewed societal norms that reinforce the idea that women are inferior to men, and should be seen but not heard. In the past few years, there has been a vast movement across the country educating students about rape culture and its prevalence on college campuses. It has become a topic that, generally, people have heard and have an understanding of. Although the movement has not stopped rape completely by any means, it has raised a significant level of awareness and continues to challenge and change college policies. This is extremely important; however, narratives involving other instances of sexual trauma are not as widely talked about. Women in "Dialogues with Madwomen" delve into these lesser heard experiences, making it a valuable resource when studying feminist psychology. The women in "Dialogues with Madwomen" speak specifically about the role of rape and male dominance in the context of mental illness and treatment. Each woman's experience with a male doctor or therapist involves them getting sexualized in some way. One woman speaks to how she would see a therapist regularly who would touch her breasts during the visit, and how she never questioned his methods because he had a PhD. He also told her that part of the reason she was suffering was because she wasn't sleeping with other men. Women were constantly unsafe within the walls of mental institutions and programs where they were intending to receive help. They were raped and molested both by the figures of authority as well as other members of the community they were in. The women in the film were forced to accept this as their realties because being taken advantage of sexually had become normalized in their lives. There was so little information about how women could seek help that they continued to interact with their sexual abusers out of complete desperation. Before watching "Dialogues with Madwomen," many of the students in our classroom had no idea that these mental health systems were so corrupted. Hearing these types of narratives is essential to having the deepest understanding of feminist psychology as possible. "Dialogues with Madwomen" sheds light on the intensity of women's issues by sharing narratives of women with mental illnesses that are not widely known and talked about. The film does an excellent job of taking these experiences and showing how they ultimately led the women to feel a deep sense self-empowerment and creativity. The main themes of the women's stories were the lack of understanding and access to help regarding mental illnesses and the prevalence of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. I believe that watching "Dialogues with Madwomen" is an essential part of our feminist psychology class because it allows for extremely personal, emotional accounts of women with various psychological disorders. Simply reading about these stories would not be nearly as impactful and powerful. For preparing for a future class, I would search for a more recent film that takes on similar issues in addition to "Dialogues with Madwomen," which came out in 1994. Although women's rights have developed and improved greatly over the past twenty years, I believe it is vital to seek out other narratives around women with mental illnesses to inspire change and allow their voices to continue to be heard.

A small scale, independent film released in 1994, Dialogues with Madwomen is a documentary centered around the interviews of seven women diagnosed with a variety of mental illnesses. Although it made only just under one hundred thousand at the box office, the film won an Emmy in the Outstanding Interviews category, The Sundance Film Festival's Freedom of Expression Award, and was nominated for The SFF's Grand Jury Prize.

This is a deeply intimate film about the different lives and experiences of seven different women, including the director, each diagnosed with different mental disorders. This film does not exactly have a plot, but rather the stories of the women are sectioned off into small vignettes, highlighted by home videos or reenactments. The stories of the women are interwoven within one another's. Allowing for one woman to express some of her experience before delving straight into the thick of another's. Each woman goes through their tales; starting with when they first began to notice their illnesses, to how their families treated them, how medical facilities and specialists treated them, to how they're coping today. While no formal criticism was given towards the medical system, the stories of their treatment and interment at these facilities was critical enough. The director of the film herself shared a story of how a supposed professional asked her some very indecent and invasive questions the moment they met for her initial counseling and how herself and all the other ward patients were kept together regardless of their conditions. Beyond this almost each woman had a tale to tell of how they were effected by their medicines or by medical staff in general.

In addition to focusing on treatment, the film ensures that it takes special care to highlight their experiences as women. Each of the women interviewed can pinpoint specific moments in their life that played a role in either the formation or exacerbation of their illness that happened specifically because they were women. A few of those interviewed were women of color or members of the LGBTQA+, and they were able to share their further unique perspective on how they were treated because they were perceived as different even among their peers. While watching the film Dialogues with Madwomen, I felt myself experiencing a wide range of emotions and felt just as many questions rising to the surface of my mind. With each woman's story came a fresh wave of empathy towards them and their struggles. I was nearly brought to tears numerous times; either through the sympathy I felt for them or the memories their stories drugged up within myself. While this wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, I'd say it was a necessary one. This film gets to the core of what it means to be a woman with a mental illness. It sugar coats nothing, it expresses their hardships as raw and as emotional as they were experienced by these women themselves. This film gave them the chance to share with the world just how they live and how they are treated. It shows the viewer that these women have been hurt because of who they are but that so long as they are here, they will continue to strive.

This film is incredible especially in the way it depicts women suffering with mental illness. It gives the audience an in-depth look at what it means to be a women in America diagnosed with mental illness. Throughout the entire film, there are instances where you can truly feel the pain and understand the struggles that these women have and are going through. It is very easy for me to internalize the problems others are facing so by watching this movie I could immediately sympathize with them. Any woman who has ever suffered from mental illness could watch this movie and immediately feel understood. Direct interviewing with these individuals have this powerful effect. These women in this film went through such trauma and the way they coped was not healthy in the slightest bit. Many turned to self-harm in order to escape the pain that they were feeling and it is important to be aware of these coping mechanisms in order to learn what is and what is not healthy. Many times in psychology class, we get so caught up with symptomology and the nitty gritty details that we forget or disregard that people are actually being affected by these things. We need to remember, people are more than just their symptom.