From my friend, Sheila Ganz:
I am excited to share with you the new trailer for the documentary-in-progress Piece of Mind: www.pieceofmindfilm.com. This emotionally compelling film explores the impact of serious mental illness on two families and a man living with bipolar disorder interwoven with insights from an emergency room psychiatrist and visually intimate artwork. Our goal is to finish the film in 2018. I hope you will take 3 ½ minutes to watch the trailer. If you are moved by the stories please make a tax-deductible donation in any amount now: https://www.sffilm.org/artist-…/find-a-project/piece-of-mind. Post card gifts for donors. With a $100 donation your name will be in the credits of the film. Like the film’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pieceofmindfilm/ Thank you!
Piece of Mind – A documentary work-in-progress by Sheila Ganz
The feature documentary PIECE OF MIND is an emotionally compelling story about the impact of serious mental illness on two families and a man living with bipolar disorder interwoven with insights from an emergency room psychiatrist and visually intimate artwork. The film explores gut-wrenching experiences of a son in denial about paranoid schizophrenia, a sister shot by police and her lawsuit invoking the Americans With Disabilities Act, contrasted with a man’s attempted suicide, which leads to a positive encounter with police officers, taking medication and the desire to help others. PIECE OF MIND seeks solutions for this deeply personal public health crisis.
DONATE
If you are moved by the trailer, please make a tax-deductible donation in any amount now to support completion of PIECE OF MIND in 2018. Information to send a check here. Post card gifts to our donors of the artwork in the film by Sheila Ganz – “Fear of Germs” and “Spray Bleach.”
$50 donation – 1 post card of your choice
$100 donation – 1 post card of your choice and your name in the credits of the film, or someone you designate.
$150 donation - both post cards and your name in the credits of the film, or someone you designate.
$200 donation – 4 post cards and your name in the credits of the film, or someone you designate.
Send an email to sheila.ganz@gmail.com with your choice of post card(s) after you make a donation. Thank you! All donors will receive a Thank You letter from the filmmaker.
Today, an estimated 44 million adults in America live with a mental illness, yet nearly 60% don’t receive treatment in a given year. What these numbers don’t take into account is the toll it takes on parents, siblings and children, as they struggle to keep their family intact and get their loved one treatment in a broken mental health care system. PIECE OF MIND explores solutions to care for individuals living with serious mental illness including increased funding for more beds and staff for psychiatric facilities, wider implementation of Laura’s Law and Kendra’s Law, and the importance of de-escalation training for police officers nationwide.
Making PIECE OF MIND comes out of Sheila Ganz’s personal experience. Her sister lives with schizophrenia. The agonizing powerlessness Sheila felt over her sister’s need for treatment drove her to support groups at National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) San Francisco, where she heard many different stories of family members with loved ones living with serious mental illness. “This issue was staring me in the face. I knew I had to make the film.”
