Cinema, aesthetics and narrative: Cinema as therapy in substance use disorders

The use of cinema as a mediator in therapeutic settings has been considered advantageous; however, few works have been published regarding this subject (Dermer & Hutchings, 2000; Eğeci & Gençöz, 2017; Hesley & Hesley, 1998; Poltrum, 2009; Schulenberg, 2003; Wolz, 2005). The aim of this work was to explore the therapeutic potential of cinema, especially when applied to the treatment of substance use disorders, and to study the hypothesis that the narrative and aesthetic dimensions of cinema are primordial to its therapeutic properties. The authors first describe their clinical experience with a therapeutic activity specifically conceived to use cinema and its narrative and aesthetic dimensions in a therapeutic way, and then explore the proposed hypothesis by analysing and discussing its results. The authors found that cinema appears as a language of possibilities in the psychotherapeutic setting: not only the movies appeal to the patients' inner world and to the reflection on their previous life experiences, but also provide a safe and creative space for change. Also, movies take the patients to talk and elaborate on their thoughts, feelings and life stories, allowing a different look at the future, acting as inductors of hope. This work may be seen as an innovative contribution to further discussion about the clinical benefits of cinematographic art as a therapeutic mediator.