You could say that a documentary with the title OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive Major Depression Bipolar Asperger’s Movie is maybe biting off more than it could chew, but no more so than the filmmaker who found himself coping, not voluntarily, with all those afflictions.
More than just a sympathetic observer, Bud Clayman — who co-directed this film with Glenn Holsten and Scott Johnston — had a career in film derailed by all those mental illnesses and, after years in therapy, has now picked up the camera again to create a film that’s at once a personal document, an attempt to convey the experience of these diseases from an insider’s viewpoint, and an outreach to those who also suffer, to convince them to understand their situation and seek help. Oh, and there’s also a tribute to Lost in Space that turns out to be surprisingly relevant. The result is at once intimate, enlightening, and overall hopeful.
Listen to Dan Persons’s Mighty Movie Podcast interview on HuffPost with Bud Clayman »
Soon after college, mental illness interrupted Bud Clayman’s dreams of a filmmaking career. Thirty years later, he’s made the movie of his life. After making this documentary, Bud founded the website Recovery Diaries, which expands on that story by allowing others to share their own stories of mental health, empowerment, and change.
