We no longer take the time to listen; to listen to the Other, to really listen to the Other. We no longer take the time to reflect, to take a step back, to put things into perspective. We no longer take the time to take the time.

We must move quickly, very quickly. We must fit into a small box. We must check this little box. And when we check the box “Other,” we must put a label on it and participate in the creation of a small supplementary box. We have to hold tight to the line and never exceed our rank, and if we have the misfortune to deviate from it for any reason, we fall into another series of small boxes.

Jean Oury railed against the bureaucracy of small boxes, of statistical surveys, of forms filled out by those who never set foot on the field, or if they did, only as tourists for a quick tour just to say that they saw, observed, took good notes, without ever really stopping. Oury is one of the most important psychiatrists and psychoanalysts of modern times: his thought and his contribution to paradigms of therapeutic practices linked to mental health are inestimable.

Martine Deyres amplifies Oury in the framework of this documentary in terms of offering him the time to develop his thought and to follow through on his ideas. His thought is essentially based on the precept that, in order to heal the “sick,” we must first heal the hospital. Many wise words continue to resonate with me long after watching this film:

“Strange people are everywhere…”

“Who are the fools? Is it them or is it us, as a collectivity...”

“A double alienation: a mental alienation and a social one…”

“Pretending to be like others…”

Finally, this one:

“When you walk along a wire atop a high precipice, don’t be a pain in the ass (...) I will talk to him when he comes back from the other side of the river.”

An important documentary work that archives with care the clear-headed witnessing of a great thinker, one of the wise men of the 20th century. An absolute must-see, and especially, a must-listen. Take your time.

Virginie Dubois
Cinephile, first and foremost
Part-time producer

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