Experiencing Interruptions?

The Mind's Maladies

This experimental film presents an AI-assisted philosophical essay, enhanced with cutting-edge text-to-speech, text-to-image, and video technology to make complex ideas accessible and engaging. It is the final section of a trilogy, now expanded into a feature-length film, though each part also stands alone. This concluding segment delivers the core message:that severe mental illnesses—often called "'major"—are not distortions but sicknesses of the normal emotions and motivations that have united us since apes first formed social groups 52 million years ago.

  • John V. Wylie
    Director
  • John V. Wylie
    Writer
  • John V. Wylie
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 41 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 10, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    300 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital MP4
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Custom
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - John V. Wylie

John Wylie holds a BA in History from Yale, an MD from Columbia, and completed a psychiatric residency at Georgetown University. His career started at a maximum-security prison in Maryland, followed by 35 years in the private practice of psychiatry in Washington, DC. During this time, he also served as chair of the department of psychiatry at Sibley Memorial Hospital. He was involved in the early stages of evolutionary psychiatry in the 1980s and has contributed to the field through a clinical handbook on psychiatric treatment, two books on evolutionary psychiatry, and numerous lectures on the subject. Dr. Wylie resides in Olney, Maryland, with his wife, Ann.

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Director Statement

I have been contemplating the subject of this film since entering psychiatry in 1972. While my ideas have not led to direct treatments—despite my efforts—I came to realize their potential as a powerful remedy for the stigma that has long compounded the suffering caused by these conditions.