- I'm Pete Schwaba, host of
Wisconsin Public Television's Director's Cut .
Tonight, we bring you a special
PBS and Wisconsin Public Television documentary feature,
God Knows Where I Am .
This remarkable film chronicles the life of Linda Bishop,
a well-educated mother from New Hampshire
and her struggle with mental illness.
Bishop's severe bi-polar disorder at times
resulted in her being homeless and incarcerated,
before her life ended tragically in an abandoned farmhouse.
The film's Directors, Todd Wider and Jedd Wider, have
a long list of award winning and critically-acclaimed credits
over the last sixteen years.
Their work has garnered a Peabody award,
an Emmy award, and an Oscar nomination.
God Knows Where I Am marks their
documentary feature-length directorial debut.
To give an example of the kind of commitment
the Wider's have to their craft and to Linda Bishop,
the filmmakers used an array of visual techniques
choosing 35 and 16 mm film
to depict Bishop's conscious state
and a variety of cameras,
including an old 1939 Eyemo for dreamscape sequences
and personal nostalgic aspects of their story.
To give Linda Bishop a voice, Todd and Jedd
summoned the talents of actress Lori Singer
who reads mesmerizingly beautiful passages
from Linda Bishop's diary,
which she had in her possession at the time of her death.
The directors say their hope for the film
is that it moves people
as much as Linda Bishop's story moved them.
The film is a study of systemic failure
but also a testament
to the independent spirit of Linda Bishop.
God Knows Where I Am starts now
on Wisconsin Public Television,
your home for independent film.