On occasion, Japanese citizens who travel to Paris suffer episodes of extreme depression. The depression can be so severe that it leads to hallucinations and psychosis. The Japanese psychiatrist Hiroaki Ota named this condition "Paris Syndrome." He speculated that it's caused by the difference between the idealized view of Paris that the travelers held and the reality that confronted them.
Recently, filmmaker John Menick created a short documentary about this syndrome. He describes it as:
a short, cinematic essay analyzing the cultural implications of travel-related mental illnesses. The project places the syndrome within an ongoing history of cross-cultural relations; the emergence of a global tourist industry; and the creation of psychiatric schools of thought devoted to inter-cultural relations. In addition to the Parisian illness, Paris Syndrome also looks at a number of related issues: Stendhal Syndrome, an ailment experienced by traveling viewers of art (identified in Florence, Italy); the history of psychiatric portraiture; 19th-century mad travelers; and the changes in travel-related mental illnesses throughout history.
Wooden bridge inspection. Arrow dipping. All pinnacles of monotony and boredom. Does the student-led cranberry tour measure up to these high standrards?
Category: Travel, Psychology, Documentaries