"One of the best" - National Association on Mental Illness | "Intimate" - Los Angeles Times
Mental Health • Counseling • Reconciliation • Psychology • Crisis Intervention • Family HealthDate of Completion: 2012 | Run Time: 89 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Available with Streaming | Directors: Lisa Klein & Doug Blush | Producers: Kristin Chambers, Christine O’Malley & Lisa Klein
OF TWO MINDS is an award-winning feature documentary that explores the extraordinary lives, struggles and successes of a few of the over five million Americans living with bipolar disorder. Personal stories of harrowing events, medical mazes, discrimination and the efforts of social stigma blend together to create a compelling look at a generation coming out of the “bipolar closet”. OF TWO MINDS puts an authentic human face on bipolar disorder, providing an intimate, sometimes painful, sometimes painfully funny look at those who live in its shadows: our parents and children, our friends and lovers…and ourselves.
NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness) | Noelina Arciniegas, LCSW, MPH, Former Associate Program Director
"OF TWO MINDS is one of the best - if not the best - documentaries I’ve ever seen on mental illness."
Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan
"An intimate look at bipolar disorder."
Cleveland Plain Dealer | Clint O’Connor
"OF TWO MINDS is a film about people, brave souls willing to reveal personal stories of the torment raging inside their brains. This is intimate storytelling."
PRISM Award | Entertainment Industries Council
SAMHSA Voice Award | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Best Documentary | United Film Festival
Official Selection | Cleveland International Film Festival
Official Selection | Newport Beach Film Festival
Official Selection | Prescott Film Festival
Official Selection | ReFrame Film Festival
Official Selection | United Film Festival
Director of OUT HERE, THE S WORD and OF TWO MINDS

Lisa Klein is an award-winning director and writer dedicated to crafting engaging documentary films on social justice issues. Her current projects include the documentary OUT HERE and an untitled project on child advocacy and early childhood development. She is the director of THE S WORD (2017) which explores suicide through the emotional stories of attempt and loss survivors, and co-director of OF TWO MINDS (2012), a journey into the lives of remarkable people living, struggling and triumphing with bipolar disorder. Both documentaries received the prestigious SAMHSA Voice Award, the most significant award for mental health filmmaking. Her latest project, WAIT! Is animated short documentary.
In addition, she is a published author, and speaks at universities and organizations around the world, raising awareness about mental health issues. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California.
Expertise
As documentary filmmaker and public speaker, I like to lead candid, down-to-earth conversations on homelessness and mental health. Through post-screening discussions, I can connect with audiences in an honest and accessible way, offering insight into both the filmmaking process and the real-world issues behind my work. My speaking style is thoughtful and engaging.
Speaking History
The Mayo Clinic, The Brookings Institute, Harvard University, University of Michigan.