Nise, an angel in the heart of madness.

Rio - The other day, I watched, with unforgivable delay, "Nise - The Heart of Madness," a 2016 Brazilian feature film directed by Roberto Berliner. The film is a biopic of the Brazilian psychiatrist Nise da Silveira, played by Glória Pires.  

A touching story. A wonderful film.

Nise Magalhães da Silveira was a Brazilian psychiatrist recognized for transforming mental health treatment in Brazil in the mid-20th century.

Daughter of journalist and director of the "Jornal de Alagoas," Faustino Magalhães da Silveira, and pianist Maria Lídia da Silveira, Nise received her basic education at a convent school—at the time exclusively for girls—the Colégio Santíssimo Sacramento.  

Born in Maceió, Alagoas, on February 15, 1905; from 1921 to 1926 she attended the Faculty of Medicine of Bahia, where she graduated as the only woman among the 157 men in that class. 

It was during this time that she met and married the public health expert Mário Magalhães da Silveira, her classmate from college, with whom she lived until his death in 1986. The couple had no children.

In 1927, already married and graduated, she moved with her husband to Rio de Janeiro where they would have more job opportunities. In what was then the capital of Brazil, Nise became a psychiatrist. Working in Rio hospitals, the doctor turned against the aggressive methods normally used on patients, such as electroshock therapy and lobotomy. In place of violent methods, she developed and applied humane treatments such as art therapy and interaction with animals.

She loved madmen and cats: “Cats are excellent study companions, they love silence and cultivate concentration. I admire the independence of felines, always purring around you. I cultivate independence a lot. That's why I like cats. Many people don't like the freedom they need to live. In the circus you see tigers and bears, but you don't see a cat. The cat is proud, and human beings don't like those who are proud,” she said. 

Nise developed important work at the Pedro II National Psychiatric Center in Engenho de Dentro, Rio de Janeiro. She joined the institution in 1944 and waged a true battle against the violent treatment methods that were common at the time.

Therefore, she was redirected to the occupational therapy area, which was looked down upon at the facility. There, she had as her assistant nurse Ivone, a young Black woman who would later become the grande dame of samba, Dona Ivone Lara.

This is how she managed to apply a new form of mental health care to her patients – whom the doctor referred to as "clients".

A student of the Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung, Nise valued humanized treatment and incorporated painting and clay modeling as treatment techniques. This allowed people to express themselves through art, conveying their deepest anxieties in colors, shapes, and symbols, in what was later called art therapy.

Furthermore, Nise was against the confinement and isolation of patients. She introduced interaction with animals – which the doctor called co-therapists – which greatly contributed to lowering stress and anxiety levels, reducing patient crises.

In 1936, during the Communist Uprising, after being denounced by a nurse for possessing Marxist books, she was dismissed from public service during the Vargas dictatorship (1936-1944) and imprisoned as a communist in the Frei Caneca prison for 18 months. 

During her imprisonment, she met and befriended the writer Graciliano Ramos, who became one of the characters in his book 'Memórias do Cárcere' (Memoirs of Prison).

Even in the 30s, she was active in the Brazilian Communist Party and was one of the few women to sign the "Manifesto of Intellectual Workers to the Brazilian People." However, she ended up being expelled from her cell, accused of Trotskyism.

From 1936 to 1944 he remained in semi-clandestinity. During this period he undertook a profound and reflective reading of Spinoza's works, material published in his book Letters to Spinoza, in 1995.

With the amnesty, in 1946, he founded the Occupational Therapy Section at the Pedro II Psychiatric Center. 

On May 20, 1952, he created the Museum of Images of the Unconscious, a center for study and research. Linked to the painting and modeling workshops, the Museum has continued to grow, and its collection currently comprises approximately 350 items, including canvases, drawings, paintings, and sculptures. 

In 1956, he also created 'Casa das Palmeiras', the first Brazilian clinic dedicated to outpatient psychiatric treatment. 

He introduced Jungian Psychology to Brazil. He wrote several books, among which stand out 'Images of the Unconscious' (1982) and 'The World of Images' (1992). 

In recognition of his work, he received decorations, titles, and awards in different areas of knowledge. His work and principles inspired the creation of museums, cultural centers, and psychiatric institutions in Brazil and abroad.

The doctor passed away at the age of 94 in 1999 in Rio de Janeiro, due to respiratory failure.