Our pick of the films opening today is the Kiwi documentary Mental Notes. This “often shameful” story of New Zealand’s psychiatric institutions earned acclaim at this year’s World Cinema Showcase. The film’s out on limited release, so get in quick.

Here’s what some of the country’s leading reviewers had to say about the film: Graeme Tuckett (Dominion Post and Radio New Zealand) said “a stunning film: moving, funny, and – even though I hate this word – important. Go and see it.” Peter Calder (NZ Herald) praised the film for its “measured, unsensationalist tone and its focus on the survivors rather than the historical horrors”, noting that “it’s not simply a catalogue of victimhood; its subjects’ stories are full of humour and hope”.

The confirmed cinemas for release are:

21 June onwards – the Paramount, Wellington
21-22 & 25-26 June – the Metropolis, Dunedin
23 June onwards – the Academy, Auckland
1 & 5 July – the Dome, Gisborne
5 July onwards – the Hollywood, Christchurch.

Apparently there are more cinemas to follow, so check your local listings.

Here’s the trailer:

Directed by Jim Markbrook, Mental Notes tells the often shameful story of this country’s psychiatric institutions, a story that remains largely unknown despite a 2007 report by a government-appointed forum detailing corroborated evidence of poor practice and abuse in government-run mental hospitals. While the government accepted the forum’s report at the time of its release, there has never been an official acknowledgement of its findings, let alone an apology.

Also opening this week: Brave, Cafe de Flore, Motorway, Safe, Snow White and the Huntsman, Tortoise in Love