A SUMMER IN THE CAGE is filmmaker Ben Selkow's feature-length documentary chronicling his friend Sam's battle with manic-depressive illness, also known as bipolar disorder. The film follows Sam for seven years as he suffers delusional manic episodes, battles paralyzing depressions, and tries to escape the legacy of his father. By showing the difficult emotional impact of being bipolar on Sam, his family, and the filmmaker, A Summer in the Cage hopes to put a human face on an illness that affects millions of American families. But as this dramatic story unfolds, it also becomes a unique tale about friendship and the ethical responsibilities of a documentary filmmaker. The intent was to make a film about successfully living with, and managing, a mental illness. Throughout the process and when the Hollywood ending proves too elusive, the filmmaker and the subject are forced to ask themselves, "When do you turn off the camera?"

WHAT IS BIPOLAR DISORDER or MANIC-DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS?

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