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God Knows Where I Am is the story of Linda Bishop, a well-educated New Hampshire mother who suffered from severe bipolar disorder with psychosis, who was intermittently incarcerated and homeless, inevitably being committed for three years to a state psychiatric facility. Successfully fighting her sister's protective attempts to be named her legal guardian, Linda was able to refuse treatment and medication, and eventually procured an early, unconditional release, despite the lack of post release planning. Upon her release, she wandered ten miles down the road from the hospital, broke into an abandoned farmhouse and lived off of rainwater and apples picked from a nearby orchard for the next four months, through one of the coldest winters on record. Unable to leave the house, she became its prisoner, and remained there, a prisoner of her own mind, eventually starving to death. Her body was discovered several months later and with it a diary that Linda kept documenting her journey. The diary is poignant, beautiful, funny, spiritual, and deeply disturbing. In tackling the subject matter, the filmmakers began from a social justice perspective but their focus quickly shifted to a more intimate and artistic exploration. How does one depict the interior landscape of a person who is imprisoned by the mind? How does one build empathy for a person who is no longer alive? The story is told from a variety of perspectives, including her own, through recollection and first person narrative. God Knows Where I Am is both a study of systemic failure and also a testament to the artistic and independent spirit of Linda Bishop. In a state known for its motto of Live Free or Die, Linda wanted to live free but given her mental illness, this proved to be a fatal decision. The film poses many provocative questions including the issue of civil liberties of the mentally ill--if one's mind is not free, how can one truly exercise free will?

Media

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Sales Points

• Premiers on PBS October 15th, 2018
• Great reviews from NYTimes, Variety, Washington Post, LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, winner Hot Docs Jury Award 2016, winner American Cinematographer Award

Press Quotes

New York Times Critics' Pick, 'It will haunt you.'

     —Andy Webster, New York Times

'A devastating commentary'

     —Kimberley Meyers, Los Angeles Times

'Beautiful, evocative, and ultimately heartbreaking'

     —Christopher Orr, The Atlantic

'A chilling exploration-The diaries are not just read but vocally embodied by Lori Singer in a vivid voiceover performance'

     —Jessica Kiang, Variety

'Haunting and uncommonly artful'

     —John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter

'God Knows Where I Am meets the considerable challenge of showing a story driven by an absent protagonist while also encouraging the viewer to feel the pain of her plight; it's a triumph of visual narrative that engenders enormous empathy, and a very wort

     —Stephen Pizzello, American Cinematographer

'Great cinema and certainly a contender for one of the best documentaries of the new millennium. '

     —The Film Corner

'Perhaps the best film I have seen on mental illness. And I have seen many films.'

     —Pete Early, Bestselling Author and Advocate for the Mentally I