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Carla Rabinowitz, an employee of Community Access, a business that helps consumers, organized an all-day film festival for New York City’s mental health community. Money generated from the event will go to support the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), a business that helps consumers by fighting for us through the New York State government.

Attendance at this annual event far surpassed attendance from previous years, which meant more people from the mental health community—consumers, advocates, and family members—learned something from the films we viewed.

One film was a documentary by a man living with bipolar disorder in the United Kingdom. Though this man managed to smile throughout his trials and tribulations, he lost his wife and custody of his children all of whom he loved. In addition, he had problems with his business. He did not like his medication and decided to make a go without it. In the very end, we leave him as his life seems to improve professionally and he is allowed some contact with his children.

Pat Deegan’s documentary was a narrative of psychiatric treatment from the 1800s to the present. In it, she indicated that The Master Narrative, which documented the history of psychiatric treatment, omitted the cruelty behind the actions used to treat mental health consumers. Psychiatric treatment facilities were publicized historically as beautiful tracts of land with lush and vibrant gardens where wealthy lovers might want to take a stroll. However, what was behind outward appearances were the screams of innocents, naked, frightened, betrayed and alone.

The last film was The Fisher King starring Robin Williams as a crazy person who was also a teacher and Jeff Bridges as a bad person who changed into a caring person thanks to Robin’s character. I found this film’s message that “life is too short not to live well and love the ones your with” to be a good one. Through this film, we learn how city life can drive anyone crazy, but that sanity can be restored with help.

All in all it was a memorable afternoon not only due to the films, but in large part due to the diversity of our mental health community where each one of us has the potential to make a positive impact on the world—or at least on NYC.