People in White is a film that explores the relationship between doctor and patient in mental health care from the point of view of 10 patients.
In the film a central artistic device is re-enactment of key moments in the therapeutic process in which former patients play themselves as well as their doctors. Memories vary from beautiful, healing moments to the horrors of isolation and abuse.
Margreet has been receiving electroshock treatment monthly for 2 years now. As side effect she has lost most of her memory – but she doesn’t care because she feels better. She has had the same psychoanalyst for 20 years. He is her memory; He knows more about her than she can remember. She is afraid what will happen when he dies.
Margreet is one of the 10 patients who gather together in order to share their experiences about mental health care professionals. They return to their memories through story telling and re-enactments. Some of the stories are beautiful descriptions of healing moments. For other participants the traumatic experiences they had with doctors are still haunting them even today after many years.