“Nothing Like Dreaming”, the 2004 full-length feature by Vermont
filmmaker Nora Jacobson, will get a free screening in Burlington tonight and the themes of mental illness explored in the movie will be the focus of a panel discussion to follow. “Nothing Like Dreaming” tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Emma, a troubled teenager, and a reclusive older man named Sonny who constructs a fire organ with materials he scavenges and hordes in an abandoned factory. The film has won praise from mental health advocates for its unflinching depictions of severe depression, schizophrenia and other disorders of the mind.
Sandra Steingard is a Psychiatrist and Medical Director of the Howard Center for Human Services. She will discuss the film after its screening tonight along with director and writer Nora Jacobson, and people recovering from mental illness. She spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the film.