Madness – may refer to anger, insanity, mental disorder. The Wikipedia explanation.
Michelle’s explanation is described in a 10-minute film.
The setting is 14th century England during the Black Death. Half the planet has died mysteriously and rapidly. It causes pandemonium and trauma throughout.
A woman’s husband dies. She goes to visit his grave and finds him alive. She digs him up and brings him home. Once there, she tries to feed him. Villagers arrive to inform her that he is still deceased. It’s only after his body is removed that her mind is able to process the loss.
Inspiration for the film came seven centuries later when Michelle was a first aid responder. The year is 2011 and she is the first person on the scene of a man suffering a seizure. She applies CPR until the paramedics arrive. The man has a stroke and dies. One year later Michelle experiences PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). It brings up past traumas … of her mom dying in a fire, of a shattered childhood, raised by a struggling prospector dad in the NWT hungry for fortune and later dying of cancer.
After conquering the disorder with the help of film and art as therapy, she came to the realization that many people had suffered PTSD during the Black Death.
She wanted to explore and expand on this revelation. In eight weeks she wrote, produced, acted and co-directed the film in Jamestown, Langley.
It’s garnered almost 40 awards.
MADNESS – TRAILER from Sina Nazarian on Vimeo.
