Sybil (1976)

Movie Background: 1976 American television miniseries

Director: Daniel Petrie

        <Sybil> talks about a young lady who suffered in DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) as she was abused in her childhood. DID means there are presence of two or more distinct personality states that recurrently take control of the individual. After altering personality, she may have totally different memory, history, behavior pattern, and personality. Sometimes, Sybil’s memory black out when other personalities came out. This recurrent dissociative amnesia makes Sybil has gaps in remote memory of personal life events, lapses in dependable memory, and experiences dissociative fugues. She may suddenly find herself in strange places and not remembers how she ended up there.

            One of Sybil’s personalities, Victory knows about other personalities exist, while the other personalities include Sybil did not know. This called one- way amnesic. These personalities switch when triggered by negative or stressful experience. DID could onset on any age so that we couldn’t tell when Sybil’s disorder onset. However, it is significant to tell that Sybil’s experience of prolonged, severe childhood sexual abuse with her childhood friends. This is the major cause for her to split these 16 personalities which indicate each of her friends’ personality.

             Dissociation is a defense mechanism and a bad habit as it indicates the personality trying to escape from the stressful and fearful situation. When Sybil heard her voice similar with her mother via recorder, her defense mechanism immediately opened and switched to a baby personality.

            In this situation, Sybil needs for supportive environment from her friends or family but her father is a very skeptical person who conforms church’ rules slavishly thinks that hospital and psychiatrists are not good for Sybil. Sybil’s psychiatrist, Dr. Wilbur is a responsible and sympathy person. She tried her best to help Sybil integrate all the personalities. This is important as it helps to create awareness of sub- personalities, and recognize, examine, confront triggers for switching. 

Short clip from Sybil 1976

Schindler's list

Schindler's list

Movie Background: 1993 American epic historical period drama film

Director: Steven Speilberg

< Schindler's List> talked about how a man who used to focus on earning money and power eventually spent all his money in order to save people’s lives. Schindler was a charismatic and intelligence man who good in building rapport with people. He had high social awareness as he read the situation, make adjustments and adapted his behavior and attitude to suit the situation. He pretended he is prone to German armed forces, but in facts, his motivation is to protect Jews people from being killed. On the other hand, he was a womanizer. He can't even picked out one suitable lady as his secretary as he thought all of them are good, so he just hired all the interviewee. Even though he used to flirt with other women, but he knew that his wife is irreplaceable and he knew that his love towards his wife is different.

Schindler was a transformational leader. He able to inspire his workers by using his charisma. From the moment he hired Jews, he started to care more about other Jews' lives. He hired more and more Jews in his factory and all his workers are respect him and thankful. He creates working opportunity for people in order to help them avoid from being killed. He engaged in high relationship management as he emphasized to maintain good relationship with people. He can remember all his workers' names and this eventually written in the name list that Schindler passed to German officer in order to save workers' lives. In addition, he listened to his workers' opinions, and help them and their family to develop skills. He willing to take risk and spent his money just to save as more Jews as he can. 

His kind- hearted behavior and sacrificed was remembered by his workers and all of them signed up petition to government in order to lessen Schindler's punishment. 

He felt ashamed and guilty while facing these workers who fully believe in him as he supposed can save more lives if he put in more efforts. However, it is not easy for ones to sacrifice own money, reputation and power in order to save strangers' lives. But Schindler did it.

Trailer of Schindler's List