Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 (2016)

A brilliant but tortured 56-year-old artist channels her depression and anxiety into her work.

Director:

Frank Stiefel

Star:

Tom Wudl

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tom Wudl	...	Himself

Storyline

Mindy Alper is a tortured and brilliant 56 year old artist who is represented by one of Los Angeles' top galleries. Acute anxiety, mental disorder and devastating depression have caused her to be committed to mental institutions undergo electro shock therapy and survive a 10 year period without the ability to speak. Her hyper self awareness has allowed her to produce a lifelong body of work that expresses her emotional state with powerful psychological precision. Through interviews, reenactments, the building of an eight and a half foot papier-mache' bust of her beloved psychiatrist, and examining drawings made from the time she was a child, we learn how she has emerged from darkness and isolation to a life that includes love, trust and support.

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Plot Keywords:

artist | mother daughter relationship | number in the title | 

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Taglines:

Her art saved her life.

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Genres:

Documentary | Short | Biography

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Рай - это пробка на 405-м шоссе

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

40 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2018)

User Reviews

Amazing Life Portrait of an Artist Suffering From Mental Illness

This is an amazing and intimate portrait of an artist, Mindy Alper, who has suffered from life-long mental illness. I was mesmerized throughout, listening to the interviews, the life history, interactions with family and friends, the serious struggles, the impacts upon her life, and how art, those in the art world, and those in the mental health profession, have helped to give her some modicum of joy in an otherwise depressing life. Interwoven into the film is her art, and it interacts perfectly with her state of mind. Even the way Alper speaks, and her pronunciations of words, was utterly unique. Instead of "when I was 19," she would say, "when I was one-nine." Instead of saying 10 years, she would say "after ten times around the sun." And once you watch the film, you will understand why. If I had a vote, I would choose this to win the Oscar.