Representation of People with Schizophrenia in Thai films

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study representation of people with schizophrenia in Thai  films  during  2008 - 2017. This  qualitative research  have  analyze  4 Thai films; 'Memories’, ‘Meat grinder’, ‘Who are you’ and ‘Distortion’, that main character is within a scope of schizophrenia. Then, in-depth interview 8 receivers, who have direct experience with schizophrenia. The research results find that films have position people with schizophrenia in thriller or horror genre. Almost all schizophrenia characters are women in lower class, victims of violence and sexual harassment domestic. They lost control and kill someone. The conclusion of schizophrenia characters have 2 formats, die or still alive with some condition, live in mental hospital or run away. However, all character was organized into group of immedicable people. Therefore, films have the power in selection some truth about schizophrenia present to audience, such as exacerbation stage, termination or demographic, which stereotype and reproduction for a long time. Meanwhile, films emphasize that people with schizophrenia should be under control of specialist, psychiatrist or police, with cure or imprison. Otherwise, they will bring chaos to society. This is dominant discourse for control people with schizophrenia, which behind construction of schizophrenia representation in Thai films. However, direct-experience receivers understand about combination in films, reality and imagination. They use personal experience and medical knowledge as bargaining power. Furthermore, this research revealed that source of power in significance construction of schizophrenia is social institute, such as family, social, mass media, medical institute and government. Therefore, sexual discourse, family discourse, medical discourse and so on are weave in films, Because significance of schizophrenia is not construct by one power, but it’s product of social institute.