Blind Spot

Schizophrenia in the Family

Vanessa Laufer, director
Produced by Boja Vasic for TVOntario

Vanessa enjoyed a loving, secure family life until the age of twelve when her sixteen-year-old sister began having schizophrenic episodes. From that moment on, life in the family was fraught with concern and anxiety for the mysterious, unpredictable and frightening behavior of her adored sibling. In Blind Spot, Vanessa expresses to her parents the anger, shame, and sense of deprivation she felt, not only for the "loss" of her sister but what she perceived as the loss of their nurturing. All their energy was diverted to the care of her sister.

In a mixture of painfully honest dialogue with her parents and evocative images of life with a schizophrenic family member, the film powerfully conveys the stresses on a family imposed by mental illness. Vanessa never learned to drive. Her sister was prevented from getting her driver’s license by illness; her parents felt it was not appropriate for Vanessa to learn to drive before her older sister. Driving becomes a metaphor for moving on with her life. Now, an adult, Vanessa is able to ask her parents to be by her side as she practices driving. Life and hope renew for the family when Vanessa becomes a parent.

In this intense and painful family portrait the bonds of love continue through the next generation.

28 min. Video or DVD. Sale $195. Video rental $55.