Why I Made This Film

John Cadigan

John Cadigan is both the director and subject of People Think I'm Crazy.  He began recording his battle with schizophrenia shortly after he was diagnosed at the age of 21 while attending art school.

John provides his personal insights on why he decided to film his life, while coping with schizophrenia, and how he hoped his film would help others.

My name is John Cadigan.  I am an artist,
and I also have schizophrenia. 

I had no plans to make a film when I first started filming.  I started simply because I needed a creative outlet and couldn't do my woodcuts when I first got sick. 

It turned out that filming actually helped in my recovery.   It helped me understand my illness better and also see the impact it had on my family as well as on me.

Over the 10 years I filmed my life, my intentions changed. 

I decided that I wanted to show the world what it is REALLY like to have a mental illness, which is what I try to do in People Say I'm Crazy. 

Why? 

Here's an astounding fact:  1 in every 5 American will be diagnosed with a mental illness during their lifetime. 

Yet, people don’t talk about mental illness.  People don't know that much about schizophrenia.  Plus, there's lots of misinformation out there. Not to mention the labels and stigma.

I  wanted people seeing People Say I'm Crazy to have more empathy for those with mental illnesses and see how they could help support us in better ways. 

I wanted people with mental illness--especially schizophrenia--to realize that they are not alone. 

I hoped that my personal story would help people see that there is hope--that you CAN survive schizophrenia. 

I'd really like to know if you think I succeeded. 

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