Why I Fight, or Team Wristband, a short film adaptation of the 2019 Michigan Quarterly Review novelette by James Munro Leaf, dramatizes the perils of being defined by a mental illness and being caught in the psychiatric system. It probes the presumption of labels and the complex dynamics of power. Directed, edited and adapted by Andy Kirshner and Gillian Eaton the film features a diverse cast and crew of faculty and students from U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance and U-M College of Literature, Science and the Arts, including Professor Malcolm Tulip.
A panel on mental illness and the arts will expand on themes in the film and take questions from audience members. The panel will include individuals who live with mental illness; U-M faculty experts in related fields; and practitioners in the arts. The discussion will also explore the role of creativity in healing and mental wellness. Dr. Melvin McInnis, Director of the Prechter Program, will moderate the panel discussion.
This showing is one-night only, a recording of the film will not be available to the public after the premiere. Dates of future showings of the film will be shared on the Why I Fight, or Team Wristband website for anyone interested in watching the film after the premiere.