Arquitetura, Cinema e Psiquiatria: O Impacto do Desenho, da Representação e da Perceção dos Espaços na Reabilitação Mental

Abstract

The importance of mental health is a topic whose relevance has grown considerably in recent years, yet there is still a certain widespread prejudice against psychiatric institutions. Cinema, as an artistic medium that has defined and portrayed culture since its inception, contributes to our perception of these places in its various representations and tends to exaggerate and minutely manipulate these realities. Thus, this dissertation explores the intersection between architecture, mental health, and its cinematic representation in order to deconstruct the complexities of these depictions. Through an in-depth analysis of five psychiatric institutions portrayed in five corresponding cinematic representations, the aim is to understand the influence they have on the perception of spaces. What role does architecture play in creating environments conducive to well-being? How is cinema responsible for perpetuating stigma? The fundamental aim of these questions is to highlight the importance of a critical and sensitive approach to the interaction between cinema and architecture and how it influences our understanding of mental health issues and the institutions that house them.