WCTE AND Indie Lens Pop-Up present “Bedlam,” an intimate look at mental health in America
COOKEVILLE— Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, “Independent Lens,” and WCTE/PBS will present “Bedlam.” Join psychiatrist and filmmaker Kenneth Paul Rosenberg M.D. as he takes viewers inside Los Angeles County’s overwhelmed and vastly under-resourced psych ER, a nearby jail warehousing thousands of psychiatric patients and the homes — and homeless encampments — of people affected by serious mental illness, where silence and shame often worsen the suffering.
A free screening will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the Backdoor Playhouse at Tennessee Tech, 805 Quadrangle Dr. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the film will begin at 6 p.m. Immediately following the film, the floor will be opened for a few moments of Q&A. The panelists for the evening are: Dr. Mark Loftis, licensed therapist and Major Jim Eldridge with the Putnam Co. Sherriff’s Dept.
In an effort to get to the bottom of the current mental health crisis in the U.S., psychiatrist and documentarian Rosenberg chronicles personal, poignant stories of those suffering from mental illness, including his own family, to bring to light this epidemic and its possible solutions.
Today, one in five adults – over 40 million Americans – live with a mental illness. For the 20,000 of those suffering with SMI in Los Angeles, the epicenter of this crisis, their only refuge is the emergency room of the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. Dr. Rosenberg follows the lives of three patients in particular who find themselves with a chronic lack of institutional support while weaving in his own story of how the system failed his late sister, Merle, and her battle with schizophrenia.
“Bedlam”premieres on “Independent Lens” Monday, April 13, 10-11:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
About Indie Lens Pop-Up
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s“Independent Lens,” Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders and organizations together to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics, to family and community relationships. Make friends, share stories, and join the conversation. For more information, visit pbs.org/independentlens/indie-lens-pop-up
WCTE has served the Upper Cumberland for more than 40 years as the regions premier storyteller and is the only television station in a 75-mile radius of Cookeville, making it a strategic partner in education, health services, government, arts and music. WCTE is a 501(c) 3 and is owned and operated by the Upper Cumberland Broadcast Council. WCTE is one of only 350 PBS member stations nationwide.
