RESUMO
This project which developed from an excercise in drama for patients at the Acute Psychiatric Unit, Princess Margaret Hospital, was aimed at challenging the attitudes of communities of Dominica towards their mentally ill people. A patient's drama group aided by staff and the Movement for Cultural Awareness (MCA), used popular theatre techniques to plan, practice and film a 45-minute video. The result, "Aaron's Story" was adapted from a true case history and shows a successful family man who becomes mentally ill and recovers after treatment in hospital, only to be publicly rejected by family and friends and commit suicide. The direct message of the film is the community's rejection of the mentally ill which leads to tragic results, while indirectly, the film demonstrates the successful and convincing roles of the patients as performers. The video is used as part of an educational programme aimed at 11 main population centres and 6 schools throughout Dominica. Evaluation of the project is done through questionnaires, interviews and discussions after the video's pesentation. The project helped to build confidence, assertiveness and social skills in patients, and provided a collective voice for those usually unheard (AU)
