A Summer in the Cage is a 2007 documentary film about a man's experiences with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...

. The film follows the filmmaker's friend Sam and features an interview with mental health scholar Kay Redfield Jamison

Kay Redfield Jamison

Kay Redfield Jamison is an American clinical psychologist and writer whose work has centered on bipolar disorder which she has suffered from since her early adulthood...

. It was directed by Benjamin Selkow. The documentary debuted on the Sundance Channel in 2007.

Synopsis

A Summer in the Cage is filmmaker Ben Selkow's feature length documentary chronicling his friend Sam's battle with manic-depressive illness. The film follows Sam for seven years as he suffers delusional manic episodes, battles paralyzing depressions, and tries to escape the legacy of his bipolar father who committed suicide when Sam was eight years old. By showing the difficult emotional impact of being bipolar on Sam, his family, and the filmmaker, A Summer in the Cage puts a human face on an illness that affects millions of American families. But as this dramatic story unfolds and finally reaches an explosive standoff, it also becomes a unique tale about friendship and the ethical responsibilities of a documentary filmmaker.

External links

• Film's Official Site
• Sundance Channel link
• RollingStone.com review