Educational Media Reviews Online

The documentary opens with a short narrative of a young woman with bipolar as she struggles for a sense of identity and belonging in a society that does not understand bipolar disorder. The narrative provides the necessary context for the viewer to understand the basis for the film. Of Two Minds is an authentic experience that encapsulates the real-life struggles and triumphs of three persons fighting for a sense of sanity as they come to terms with living with bipolar disorder. The portraits of each person appear to be unscripted, as each person shares entries from their journals, discuss their suicidal thoughts, and what it means to navigate bipolar disorder in a society that wishes for everyone to conform to a sense of the “normal.” The film also provides interview segments of significant persons: parents, spouses, friends, and boyfriends, who have joined these persons on their journey. The interviews provide a poignant portrayal of each person’s struggle to reach beyond themselves to connect with others around them, and how each of these people then serve to help the bipolar individual become triumphant.

The topic of the film is a difficult one for many to understand, but the film directors created a resource that gives bipolar disorder a face: “We are your mother, your sister, and brother, friends, and neighbors. We are out there, and we want to be respected.” The persons in the film with bipolar disorder talk about their dreams, and desire to be sane. The viewer is not left hanging at the end as the director provides brief follow-ups on each person—where they are, what they are doing, how they are succeeding and being triumphant in the midst of their disorder. This film will be beneficial for mental health professionals, mental health nurses, and social workers.