12 Days (film)

12 Days is a 2016 French documentary film directed by Raymond Depardon. The film focuses on the patients involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals and the court hearings they face within the first 12 days of their confinement. These hearings are intended to determine whether their involuntary commitment should continue. The film primarily takes place within the confines of a psychiatric hospital in Lyon, France, and observes the interactions between judges, psychiatrists, and patients as they navigate the legal and medical complexities of mental health and involuntary confinement. 12 Days offers a cinéma vérité perspective on the process, raising questions about individual liberty, mental health care, and the role of the justice system.