Don’t get Me Wrong

“How do you stop the rain?” one of the patients in a psychiatric hospital in Romania repeatedly asks another patient. The latter explains that he is in close touch with God and that he is a supernatural being. But his inquiring friend is not easily convinced. Both men suffer from schizophrenia and spend their days in the clinic, endlessly repeating the same discussions. Other patients busy themselves by compulsively moving pebbles, staring at liquid light projections on the wall, or patiently caring for fellow inmates. Without comment, the camera registers everything, pausing at the details. Almost every shot looks like a photograph, with deep contrasts. On the soundtrack, we constantly hear the moving of pebbles, the bustle of the occupants and the lingering discussion between the two men about whether or not God exists. The nursing staff is kept out of the film. Don’t Get Me Wrong only shows the patients, in all their vulnerability.