No Kidding, Me 2! Directed by Joe Pantoliano, 2009

Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos, Memento, The Matrix) makes his documentary directorial debut with NO KIDDING! ME 2!! as part of his fight against the stigma and shame of mental/brain “dis-ease” (or disease). This empowering film sheds light on what nearly 100 million Americans suffer in isolation. Through candid, often humorous discussions with Pantoliano and his family on their struggle with his own clinical depression, as well as the compelling stories of six other people from all walks of life, all affected differently by mental illness, including a brain surgeon with bipolar disorder and three high school students managing bipolar disorder and clinical depression. Each frankly discusses the struggle before they were diagnosed, including attempts at self-medication and other destructive behavior, as well as the hope and encouragement they discover when managing their own recovery and realizing they are not alone. The result is an inspiring vision of a society that “stomps the stigma,” as those impacted by mental illness are surprised to find millions of others like themselves, saying, “No kidding, me too!”