Fall 2007, first attempt at directing a music video.
Protège-Moi
Song written and performed by Placebo.
Written and Directed by Diana Hereld.
Photography by Dave Sweetman.
Feat. Luca Sgroi
Story follows young woman’s realization and endurance of schizophrenia.
English translation of the French found here.
pathways in music 
interesting & nice finish…
I’d be interested to hear your take on what the difference is in the experience of schizophrenia between a male and female. Watching this I got the impression that you might have an opinion on that issue, but I could definitely be wrong. Anyway…
oh and…
the gazebo!!! lol
When you say “the difference in the experience of schizophrenia” what exactly do you mean? Are you speaking in terms of societal and cultural norms, or solely internally (neurologically and chemically)? Though you can certainly measure and have a decent theory on the different circumstances they both experience, I’m not sure how well you can separate any mental condition to male vs. female. I feel like it may just be an “individual” thing, just because everyone’s makeup is so different.
No definitely not neurological or chemical distinctions; sorry I should have been more specific. Your images for expressing the girl’s experience of schizophrenia were distinctively social in nature and took on a few different forms in terms of their social construction. In particular, the image of an imagined belonging to the social structure, which is then at the end revealed to be a myth or delusion. I was just curious if you would have chosen different social constructions to represent a male experience of schizophrenia, and if so, how they would differ.
I had a feeling that was what you meant, just wanted to be sure before I dove into it. A couple of thoughts on that: Yes. I probably would have chosen slightly different social situations to represent a male’s struggle, and would’ve fallen a bit harder trying to do so.
Bipolar disorder is really the only characterized mental disorder that I can boast to have a very firm grasp on. Those types of images were the ones I really had in my mental bank to draw from-the wash of horror when realized one is condemned to it; and the ways I’ve seen girls and young women react to that horror. I realize that manic-depression is obviously drastically different from any type of schizophrenia, but there is the vague similarity in what it feels like to be a bit more detached from reality than the average makeup. To wonder if other people sense it or know…to feel like you’re dancing with a reality that looks different to everyone else. I suppose I’m really just describing the human condition here, but anyway.
I think I would have varied the male experience, yes. Funny, my mother’s doctoral dissertation was on whether or not King Ludwig of Bavaria was indeed schizophrenic or not. I’m sure she’d have better insight into it. All I would have to work with at this point would be the way society treats gender in that light: I feel it is far more socially acceptable for women to be struck with most disorders than males. The attempted (and completed) suicide stats are obviously higher in women; and the list goes on. Not sure exactly why that is, but I’d like to do a bit of reading into it and better respond in a post at some point soon…
Forgive me, come to think of it I’m not positive if that was for her thesis or dissertation…she did quite a few things and I mix them up every now and again.