No One Cares About Crazy People, a feature documentary film narrated by actor Bob Odenkirk, is a fusion of intimate storytelling and broad reportage, taking us inside the tragedy, chaos, and crisis of severe mental illness in America - and a burgeoning national crusade to do something about it. It was inspired by acclaimed journalist Ron Powers’ book of the same name, a hybrid narrative of tragic family memoir and searing social history.
No One Cares About Crazy People follows the stories of individuals and families grappling with schizophrenia, bipolar and related disorders, all caught in the maelstrom of a disastrous system. It also explores the emergence of a national grassroots movement to radically reform our broken structures of care.
California has been an epicenter of current SMI reform activity, which is two-pronged: family activists demanding reform, and the Governor & state legislature, responding to public pressure, introducing bold, but controversial, initiatives. The film followed this action over three years, interviewing Governor Gavin Newsom and the pioneering work of State Senator Susan Eggman, who are both featured in the documentary.
PANELISTS:
Gail Freedman is the film’s Director & Producer. A one-time aspiring concert pianist, Gail Freedman abandoned the stage for the screen many years ago, with brief stops in academia, government and health care along the way. It hasn’t exactly been a planned migration, but in 25 years as an award-winning filmmaker, she has produced, directed and written dozens of documentaries on a wide range of subjects, through her former company, Parrot Productions. She has also taught at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Among her films: “Hot to Trot”, an award-winning feature documentary inside the fascinating but little-known world of same-sex competitive ballroom dance – an idiosyncratic attack on bigotry, called “stirring and impressive, warm & involving, with unique heft & vitality” by the Los Angeles Times; and Making the 9/11 Memorial, a primetime special for The History Channel, which aired on the 10th anniversary of September 11th, when the Memorial opened.
Other notable films, among many, have included Breaking the Silence Barrier (cognitive disabilities); Where’s The Cure? (breast cancer activism); Generation Rx (the opioid crisis); Lessons for the Future (public education); Giving While Living (philanthropy); and A Forever Family (Annie E. Casey Foundation). Her creative output encompasses independent projects, as well as extensive work for PBS, network television, cable, syndication and the Internet, along with educational and non-profit films. She was also Executive Producer of the 13-part PBS series, World@Large with David Gergen, as well as producer of the indie feature (and world’s first hyper-linked movie), The Onyx Project, starring acclaimed actor David Strathairn. Early in her career, Gail worked at both CBS 60 Minutes and ABC 20/20.
Robert John Odenkirk (Bob Odenkirk) is an actor, comedian, writer, and producer widely recognized for his starring role as the morally flexible lawyer Saul Goodman in the critically acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. He is a multiple Emmy Award winner known for his versatility in both drama and comedy. He is also the author of “Zilot & Other Important Rhymes” a children's book of silly and poignant poems by actor Bob Odenkirk, illustrated by his daughter Erin Odenkirk, published in 2023.
Tersa Pasquini is a California mom dedicated to reforming local, state, and national mental health systems. Her passion stems from her 50-year personal experience as a family member of a son and an older brother, both diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI). As a nine-year member of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission, Teresa was a vocal advocate for the most vulnerable and abandoned SMI population. She is a founding member of the Behavioral Health Care Partnership (BHCP) at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC). Serving as Chair of the BHCP for five years, she was also a member of the Executive Leadership Team at CCRMC. She is the co-author of a white paper titled Housing That Heals and has spoken at numerous local, state, and national forums about the gaps in providing appropriate medically necessary treatment and housing options for the most severely mentally ill population.
Jonathan E. Sherin, MD, PhD, Former Director, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is a longtime wellbeing advocate who has worked tirelessly throughout his career on behalf of vulnerable populations. In his former role as Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), he oversaw the largest public mental health system in the United States with an annual budget approaching $3 billion.
Prior to joining LACDMH, Dr. Sherin served for over a decade at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) where he held a variety of posts, most recently as chief of mental health for the Miami VA Healthcare System. He has also held a variety of academic posts, formerly as vice-chairman for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at University of Miami, and currently as volunteer clinical professor at both UCLA and USC.
In addition to his leadership in the health and human services sector, Dr. Sherin has made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience, which include seminal sleep research studies, published in Science magazine, and a conceptual model of the psychotic process for which he received the prestigious Kempf Award from the American Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Sherin completed his undergraduate work at Brown University, his graduate studies at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School, and his residency in psychiatry at UCLA.