Depo: Life In Mental Hospitals, is a feature documentary focusing on the daily life of residents within public mental health institutions in Turkey. The film aims to expose the problems inevitably arisen within these restricted spaces and start a discussion regarding alternatives to the current model of mental healthcare. Filmed with the permission of Ministry of Health and funded by European Union as part of a civil monitoring project led by RUSIHAK [Human Rights In Mental Health Initiative] between 2012 and 2014, this film comprises segments of daily routines recorded at 5 major clinics located in Adana, Elazığ, Manisa, Samsun and Istanbul, as well as interviews with residents, personnel and external specialists. Offering an insight into politics of place and identity propagated by such locked institutions manifested as norms, rituals and hierarchies; the film is planned to be screened during the international symposium to be held by RUSIHAK in May 2014 and submitted to various festivals eventually. Depo is the first documentary produced by Can Dinlenmiş and Ege Kanar who have so far been active in photography, video and architectural visualization. |