Although we may prefer to think that asylum life is not part of living memory, spaces that once housed hundreds if not thousands of patients have been revisited in recent years by photographers, artists and filmmakers.
Echo Of The Past: The Terrence Tower is a documentary whose main character is the high rise Psychiatric Center in Rochester, New York. This building has loomed vacant on the cities edge since 1995, but once housed thousands of patients in a particular era in mental heath care. The filmmaker has been able to go inside and talk with some of those who were lived and worked there in order to understand the impact this building had on their lives.
This film is still in the production stage, but is slated for completion June 1st 2012. The film’s purpose is to give a voice to those who wish to share their experiences and to offer a window into the shrouded world of mental health care. More information can be found on the Echo of the Past web site, and you can watch the trailer here.