Film and Screen

On The Borderline is a dramatised documentary film that aims to show the realities of living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The film is a collaborative project directed by Doug Smith and produced by Borderline Arts, the only charity in the UK that specialises in BPD.

The film is set in a Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) group with eight members who share a diagnosis of BPD. Dramatised flashbacks are used to show the situations they are disclosing to the group as they learn to manage their symptoms on a daily basis. We follow the characters as they struggle to cope with extreme emotional intensity, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, potentially risky impulsive behaviours and unstable relationships.

But we also see their unique qualities and their achievements in spite of the difficulties they face. We see the friendships that develop and their strength – both as individuals and as a group – in not letting BPD win.