The Cinematheque

Vancouver Premiere

“An unblinking assessment of the failures of the health, judicial, and penal systems to effectively address what is a growing national problem … A powerful true-life tale.”

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Filmmaker Sandra Luckow’s brother Duanne was well into his forties before he started obsessively following conspiracy theories, fell victim to extortionate internet scams, and stormed the U.S.-Canada border intending to marry a woman he’d never met. Involuntarily committed for six months to the Oregon State Hospital (setting for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), he is discharged with a hefty bill and a diagnosis of late-onset paranoid schizophrenia—a designation he rejects. As Duanne spirals downward through a seemingly endless cycle of incarceration, hospitalization, and homelessness, his sister struggles to help him. Increasingly frustrated, she comes to believe that the system meant to protect him is the very thing that stands in the way of his recovery.

Post-screening discussion with Sandra Luckow and Dr. Randall F. White. 

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia.