Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art

Love & Lithium

An black and white image of a face, slightly distorted, with brush marks visible

Platform

Love and Lithium was an experimental art film combining documentary with cinematic surrealism, telling the story of a larger than life Glaswegian, Marcella Macintosh. A hell-raiser in her youth, who drank with legends such as Vivian Stanshall, she has been in recovery for the past 30 years. In the early 2000s she was mis-diagnosed with a mental health condition and given a prescription of Lithium against her will. Her case helped to change Scottish Law and now a single psychiatrist cannot make a compulsory prescription without going through an ethical board. The film weaved together Marcella's memories, the present and her hopes for the future with reflections on a life lived to the full.

Supported by Glasgow International and Platform.