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Racing Thoughts

2010 1 h 12 min
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This is a film about children who thought they were “crazy.” Who wanted to die. Who felt fear, anger and hopelessness. Four young people living with mental illness and their loved ones make the courageous decision to open up about their stories. Their voices are complemented by that of the director, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an adult but whose initial symptoms emerged in childhood. This film skirts the specialists’ debates in favour of a more personal tone, moving away from the alarming vocabulary of diagnoses and allowing viewers to discover the children affected.

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Racing Thoughts

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This is a film about children who thought they were “crazy.” Who wanted to die. Who felt fear, anger and hopelessness. Four young people living with mental illness and their loved ones make the courageous decision to open up about their stories. Their voices are complemented by that of the director, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an adult but whose initial symptoms emerged in childhood. This film skirts the specialists’ debates in favour of a more personal tone, moving away from the alarming vocabulary of diagnoses and allowing viewers to discover the children affected.

Psychology and Psychiatry Families All subjects
  • participant
    Brandon Lirette
    Erynn Quigley
    David Lutes
    Blanche Véronique Ella Cormier
    Ariane Grant
    Diana Lutes
    Pauline Cormier
    John Cormier
    Brigitte Cormier
    Jerry Albert
    Linda Lirette
    Ludger Lirette
    Heather Bishop
    Sean Quigley
    Alexandria Barry Lutes
  • director
    Louiselle Noël
  • researcher
    Louiselle Noël
  • writer
    Louiselle Noël
  • narrator
    Louiselle Noël
  • script consultant
    Lina B. Moreco
  • story consultant
    Georgette Duchaine
  • director of photography
    Alain Dupras
  • editor
    Marie Hamelin
  • sound recording
    Richard Lavoie
    Georges Hannan
  • additional sound recording
    Stéphane Barsalou
    Esther Auger
    Michael Hayes
    Dave Fudge
  • production manager
    Christine Aubé
    Marie-France Jean
  • sound design
    Luc Mandeville
  • original music
    Claude Fournier
  • arrangements
    Jean-Sébastien Fournier
    Claude Fournier
  • musician
    Jean-Sébastien Fournier
  • online editing
    Yannick Carrier
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • credits
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • editing technical support
    Pierre Dupont
  • foley
    Alexis Farand
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
  • foley recording
    Serge Boivin
  • still photographer
    Alain Dupras
  • transcription services
    Suzanne Beaulieu
  • translation
    Paula McKeown
  • subtitling
    Paula McKeown
  • marketing manager
    Julie Arseneault
  • marketing manager - assistance
    Karine Sévigny
  • interim producer, development
    Maryse Chapdelaine
  • administrator
    Geneviève Duguay
  • production assistant
    Colette Allain
  • technical coordinator
    Jean-François Laprise
    France Couture
  • producer
    Murielle Rioux-Poirier
  • executive producer
    Jacques Turgeon

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Education

Ages 8 to 17
School subjects
Family Studies/Home Economics - Family Diversity and Challenges Health/Personal Development - Mental Health/Stress/Suicide Media Education - Documentary Film
This documentary attempts to demystify mental illnesses and shed light on why people fear them. Members of four families, including children living with bipolar disorder, share their stories. Steering clear of specialists’ debates, these subjective testimonials employ a more personal approach. Here are some questions to spark discussion: How do we recognize this disease? What are its symptoms? Can you compare the suffering of someone with bipolar disorder with the distress you might feel sometimes? What difference do you see between madness and this illness? What means do families have at their disposal to deal with bipolar disorder? Does Canada have a policy on mental health?
Racing Thoughts
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Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

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Institutional licence

The institutional price includes the rights to screen this film in institutional settings and in free public screenings.

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