Pack Up Your Sorrows (2015)

Pack Up Your Sorrows is a new documentary film that explores the realities of living a healthy life while experiencing mental illness. Told through the journey of Boston-based singer/songwriter Meg Hutchinson, Pack Up Your Sorrows follows Meg as she learns to live a healthy life with Bipolar Disorder. Through her eyes, viewers will explore different aspects of mood disorders-- how families try to deal with the illness in their midst, the biology of these diseases of the brain, and the effects of traditional and alternative therapies such as medication and meditation. Along the way, Meg seeks to understand the role mental illness has played in the lives of authors and historical figures. She also asks some of her heroes what steps we can take as a society to reduce the epidemic of suicide, especially among young people. Viewers will learn, as Meg has, that these illnesses of the brain are not a moral failing or a character weakness, and that treatment options are improving. With Meg's own music and stunning images of the natural world guiding the way, this film is a unique and moving meditation on achieving wellness. Ultimately, it is a film about hope, healing, understanding, and the connection with others that positions us to live happy and productive lives.