Closing Conference of the project “Cinéma et (neuro)psychiatrie en Suisse: autour des collections Waldau” (FNS, 2021-2025), 27-28 mars 2025, University of Lausanne
Through an examination of audiovisual archives in psychiatry, this colloquium delves into the evolving dynamics between medical professionals and patients throughout the 20th century. It seeks to explore how the lived experiences of caregivers in their interactions with patients challenge certain Foucauldian notions regarding the microphysics of power.
Drawing from sources of everyday practices, spaces, materiality, and knowledge within psychiatry, this colloquium endeavors to reevaluate the patient-caregiver relationship, thereby questioning the disciplinary paradigm that has long prevailed in psychiatric history and medical film studies (Cartwright 1995). While research films often depict patients in vulnerable positions manipulated by psychiatrists for experimental or demonstrative purposes, nuances suggest a more intricate dynamic: patients' resistance to perform symptoms, difficulties in capturing rapid movements, and the porous boundaries visually separating protagonists from the narrative of madness.
The objectives of this meeting are twofold: first, to explore the possibility of conceptualizing the asymmetry between psychiatrists and patients differently, perhaps through a micro-analysis of sources attentive to embodied interactions; and second, to address the epistemic, ideological, and ethical implications underlying these archives and their contemporary study.
We welcome all proposals that address issues of power, resistance, representation, and ethics in the study of audiovisual psychiatric archives. Possible themes include the following:
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Comparative study of the representations of power dynamics between psychiatrists and patients in research films and clinical documents.
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Exploration of resistance strategies and empowerment implemented by patients in response to institutional psychiatric practices.
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Examination of historical transformations in therapeutic approaches and their impact on the relationships between caregivers and patients.
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Ethical and political issues related to the documentation and dissemination of images and testimonies of psychiatric patients.
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Methodological implications of anonymizing patients, which leads to their dehumanization, and proposals for alternatives to put them back at the center of our attention.
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Role of women and social and racial minorities in the field of psychiatry.
A film screening and discussion on the theme “Filming and Projecting Madness” will be offered to participants and the public.
Format and Deadline:
Each proposal should include a title, a 300-word description, and a 200-word biography. Submissions can be in French or English and must be sent in Word format to mireille.berton@unil.ch by May 20, 2024. Notifications regarding accepted proposals will be sent no later than June 15, 2024.
Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered.