We had never been ill

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Imola, a small city just outside of Bologna, was home to two psychiatric hospitals with a total of 2,000 patients. They functioned as "cities within the city," complete with shops, internal regulations, and a self-sufficient economy.

The revolution inspired by psychiatrist Franco Basaglia led to the abolition of mental institutions in 1978 (with Law 180). However, the last psychiatric hospital did not cease operations until 1996.

A lot of questions arise. What happens when a psychiatric institution closes? How and where are the long-term patients transferred? How are their families affected? And what is the situation today? Did it work?

The documentary, "Non eravamo mai stati malati di mente" [We had never been ill], answers these questions by recounting the story of a community process that profoundly impacted the lives of thousands of people, bringing hope through a pioneering model that continues to thrive, even today.