Boy Interrupted

Dana Heinz Perry's 2009 documentary is about the death of her own son. Evan Perry took his life in 2005 at fifteen by jumping from the window of their New York home. Because both parents are documentary makers there is a large archive of footage in the house, and the film is built on it, following from his childhood how the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was made, how the medication was stopped and what happened in his last year. Its hardest quality is the family questioning their own decisions on camera: stopping the medication, the choice of school and how the warning signs were read. The account makes no accusation and offers no consolation either. His teachers and friends also speak. Who it's for: viewers who can take personal documentary about mental health. Who it's not for: anyone who would rather not approach suicide and the loss of a child; the film is about that from beginning to end.