New Documentary Explores Bipolar Spectrum

Hineni, the Toco Hills Mental Health Initiative, and Hirsch Legacy Fund will host a screening of “BrainStorm, Transforming the Bipolar Landscape,” a documentary about the bipolar spectrum, aiming to end stigma, save lives, and maximize healing, at 7 p.m., Oct. 26. The event’s location will be provided upon registration and ticket purchase.

A panel discussion will follow the film’s screening, featuring Bonnie Waltch, producer, writer, director; Dr. Eric Fier, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatric therapy, Therapy Works ATL; and Sara Schley, co-producer, co-writer, and author of the memoir, “BrainStorm.”

Based on Schley’s memoir and directed by Waltch, “BrainStorm” follows six compelling people living with bipolar in their journey from devastation to recovery. The film connects their experiences with the latest bipolar brain science to shed light on potential causes and successful treatments.

Hineni’s mission is to empower the Toco Hills community and beyond by offering a nurturing forum for mental health dialogue, resources, and support.

“We want to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where mental health can be talked about openly, while providing education and culturally sensitive resources that can help individuals living with mental illness, as well as their families and communities,” said Hineni Co-Founding Director Sheila Jutan. “Ultimately, we hope our work helps people seek and access appropriate support earlier, before they reach a point of crisis.”

Jutan continued about Hineni’s evolution and its connection to the community.

“Hineni began taking shape in 2023, after several suicides in the Toco Hills Orthodox Jewish community made it clear to us that there was a real need for more mental health awareness, education, and open dialogue,” Jutan said. “My own family’s experience with bipolar disorder had also opened my eyes to how little people often understand about mental illness and how much stigma can surround it. Those experiences propelled [Co-Founding Director] Debra Shaffer Seeman and me to recognize a void in our community and to create something that could help fill it. Hineni Toco Hills Mental Health Initiative became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in June 2024.”

Jutan notes that bipolar disorder can have a profound impact on individuals and their families, yet there remains much misunderstanding about what the disorder is and what living with it can look like.

“That is one reason ‘BrainStorm’ … felt like such a natural fit for Hineni,” Jutan said. “The film brings together medical understanding and lived experience and gives audiences an opportunity to see beyond the stereotypes and misconceptions that can surround bipolar disorder. Just as importantly, it conveys a message that we believe is essential: people living with mental illness can live long, healthy, meaningful lives with appropriate treatment and support.

“For us, that is at the heart of what Hineni is about: creating a community where mental health can be discussed openly, compassionately, and without judgment.”

For event information, registration, tickets, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit HineniMentalHealth.org/events.