The purpose of the film series is to encourage psychoanalytic dialogue with respect to creativity and movies.
FILM DESCRIPTION
Description: Melancholia, written and directed by Lars von Trier, is part psychological drama and part apocalyptic science fiction and tells the story of two sisters - Justine and Claire - as a mysterious rogue planet threatens to collide with Earth. The film opens with an opulent wedding gone awry, unraveling Justine’s profound depression, and shifts into a slow, meditative depiction of dread, despair, and existential paralysis. As the end draws near, Justine’s melancholia seems to align with the cosmic annihilation, while Claire, initially grounded and pragmatic, becomes increasingly unmoored.
Format: The evening will begin with a presentation by the discussant followed by group discussion. Please watch the film prior to the event. Melancholia is available to view with a premium subscription or rent on several platforms such as: Prime, Tubi, Apple TV, Google Play, etc.
________________________________________________________
DISCUSSANT BIOGRAPHY
Christopher W. T. Miller, MD is a Psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He trained in Adult Psychiatry at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Residency Program, graduating in 2012. He completed training in Adult Psychoanalysis at the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis. He is the Director of Psychotherapy Education for the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Program. He has published and lectured on educational frameworks for teaching psychotherapy, on the intersection between the neurosciences and psychotherapy, and on psychodynamic dimensions of film and literature. He is the author of “The Object Relations Lens: A Psychodynamic Framework for the Beginning Therapist".
________________________________________________________
REGISTRATION DETAILS
Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (MDT)
Location: Virtual using Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 24 hours before the event.
Many of our emails get filtered through secondary inboxes, so please do a search within your inbox for key words such as: Denver Psychoanalytic Society, DPS, Zoom link, and/or the name of the speaker or title of the event to find the email with the link.
Cost: To help cover costs, there is a fee to register for this event. Donations are welcome during registration to help keep our programs affordable.
- Nonmembers - $15
- Society Members - $10
- Students - Free (Please list your training institution during registration.)
Registration: Registration is required. The deadline to register is January 15, 2025 by 12:00 PM (MST). Cancellation policy is below.
________________________________________________________
POLICIES
Confidentiality: During events, we will follow rules of confidentiality for clinical case material including disguising identifying information. Please do not discuss any case material outside of this conference. No recording of case material is allowed.
Cancellation: There will be no refunds within three days of the event.
To contact the Society office, please email office@denverpsychoanalytic.org.
