Philip Tetrault (a.k.a."Harry Two Hats") has been locked up in jails and psychiatric wards, asked to leave home by desperate friends and family, and spent long periods living on the streets of Montreal. But he is also a talented writer and loving father whose deep family bonds and friendships have helped him come through periods of incredible darkness brought on by his schizophrenia. Directed by Pierre Tetrault, This Beggar's Description tells his brother Phil's story: one of art, love, and madness capturing the far-reaching effects of schizophrenia on one man, his friends and his family. Phil's poetry is central both to his life and to this documentary offering extraordinary insights into street life in Montreal, the beauty of nature, and what he calls "the gymnastics of my mind." In the conclusion to the film, Phil is celebrated at the launch of his poetry book in Montreal, which is attended by his old friend and great supporter Leonard Cohen, whose songs are woven throughout the film. In this powerful and moving portrait, we are reminded that rather than continuing to isolate those individuals with schizophrenia, it is a far richer experience to make a place for them. "A rich look at the complexity of mental illness" (Now Magazine). Colour, DigiBeta. 60 mins.
Post-screening discussion with Pierre Tetrault, filmmaker, playwright, actor and stage director, who makes his filmmaking debut with This Beggar's Description, which premiered at the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival.