Dialogues With Madwomen on AllMovie

Seven mentally ill women are profiled in this powerful documentary. Each of the disparate women are in the process of "recovering" from their diverse illnesses. They seem to lead fairly normal lives. Their pasts tell a different story. Despite racial, socio-economic, and differing sexual preferences, many of the women came from abusive, alcoholic parents. Many were victims of incest. The two women of color describe their feelings of alienation which made their illnesses worse. Almost all of them had bad experiences with psychiatrists, doctors, therapeutic drugs, and institutions. In addition to standard interviews, the film also contains illustrations and vignettes depicting hallucinations, important events, artwork, and photographs from the subjects' lives.