Up/Down (2011)

There are approximately 5.7 million people in the United States with bipolar disorder. In an attempt to eliminate the mystery and misinformation surrounding the illness, many throughout the... See full summary »

Director:

Kyle Gehring

Stars:

Blaise Bronson, Susan Brown, Diana Chaudron

Cast

Credited cast:
Blaise Bronson	...	Boy in Park
Susan Brown	...	Herself
Diana Chaudron	...	Herself
Nancy Danielly	...	Herself
Kyle Gehring	...	Himself
Pace Irvin	...	Himself
Stephen Kessen	...	Himself
John Kirby	...	Himself
Nancy Lemon	...	Herself
Greg McIvor	...	Himself
Michelle Serries	...	Herself
Collette Slack	...	Herself
Matt Stockalper	...	Narrator
Sheldon Sweat	...	Himself
Christina Thompson	...	Herself

Storyline

There are approximately 5.7 million people in the United States with bipolar disorder. In an attempt to eliminate the mystery and misinformation surrounding the illness, many throughout the country diagnosed with this condition were interviewed extensively. They diligently explain the struggle to balance themselves between floating to a state of euphoria and sinking to a devastating depression.

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Plot Keywords:

balance | depression | bipolar disorder | creativity | mental health | 

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Taglines:

Bipolar and Living

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Box Office

Budget:

$1,480 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arpi-Revo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Color:

Color Color (HD)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Offensive and Not informative

As a bipolar individual I found this film very offensive. The repetitive message of the "documentary" is basically "living with someone with bipolar disorder is hard" and "bipolar people get really depressed and that's hard to be around" without taking a look at the perspective of the actual bipolar individual.In the introduction random people are surveyed about what they think about bipolar disorder. Not only is the way those individuals refer to "them" as though bipolar people are a different, more infantile version of a human, the various misconceptions espoused about bipolar disorder, for example that it is caused by hormone imbalance, are never evaluated, explained, or corrected. Nothing new is revealed about the disorder and the actual experiences of bipolar people is barely discussed. For example, the topic of what it is like to stay in a mental institution (aka "hospital") is avoided regardless of the fact that it is a terrifying experience undergone by many bipolar individuals who are locked up and treated at the same time as a convicted prisoner, retarded child, and senile senior by staff and doctors alike. Rather, the bipolar individuals interviewed are basically apologizing for their disorders and continuously taking accountability for their issues. On this note, the contribution of traumatic events to bipolar episodes is only barely mentioned and is not discussed. Overall this film is not informative in any way and serves to perpetuate stereo- types, misunderstandings, and most of all stigma.