The doctor's insane, the patient is sane, and nobody believes the truth. Kafka would've loved this.
When young Dalia is mistakenly admitted to a mental institution, she is declared sane - but by a truly mad person pretending to be a doctor. The real doctor thinks she is insane - how can she escape this madness?
Direction
Pabst's final film, still mastering shadow and dread.
Acting
Fabrizi's fake doctor is chaos incarnate.
Director
G.W. Pabst
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pabst, legendary director of 'Diary of a Lost Girl,' came out of retirement for this swan song—only his second comedy after decades of social realism.
Released during Italy's post-war mental health reform debates, the film's asylum satire hit uncomfortably close to real institutions still operating under fascist-era policies.
IT
