All in the Mind — World Science Festival Brisbane Film Program

Overview

If you've ever wondered why we all love watching superheroes fly across the screen, seeing fantastic worlds and creatures come to life, and witnessing Dwayne Johnson somehow manage to save the world again, it's simple: cinematic escapism. We devote our attention to the film in front of us, and we ignore whatever else is going on — in our lives, in our ordinary routines and in our brains.

Taking your thoughts off matters of the mind won't be so simple at the Gallery of Modern Art's next film program, though. Running as part of this year's World Science Festival Brisbane, All in the Mind explores the cerebral side of cinema. Across three days and six films, Brisbanites can feast their eyes on movies about psychological and neurological conditions, psychedelic and medical treatments, mental health in general, and the way our brains work.

It all kicks off on Friday, March 26, which is when you can go gonzo with Hunter S Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Or, if you're a documentary buff, you can choose between Dosed, which is about the use of psychoactive substances to treat mental health; Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, which tells the famed neurologist's story; and Hunting for Hedonia, which delves into the medical technique known as deep brain stimulation.

Screening until Sunday, March 28, the lineup also includes 2019 festival hit System Crasher, about a nine-year-old placed in foster care when her mother can't handle her. Want to give your brain a jolt? You can get spooked out with exceptional Australian horror film The Babadook and its eerie pop-up book creature, too.