by Raymond Depardon
“In 1977, I met Franco Basaglia, director of the manicomico (lunatic asylum) at the hospital in Triest, who was also the leader of an alternative psychiatric movement. Taking advantage of the chaotic political situation in Italy at the time, he started to close several psychiatric hospitals with a group of doctors, and had ‘Law 180’ passed in 1978, which resulted in the definitive closure of the asylums…. More…