Dinesh Sabu was orphaned at the age of 6. His 4 siblings and he raised one another and now, more than two decades later, Sabu confronts his past in the film “Unbroken Glass.” The film allows Sabu an opportunity to gain an understanding of his parents, currently nothing more than a faded memory, but more importantly, his mother’s mental illness of schizophrenia.
Sabu interviews h
is siblings and extended family, asking difficult questions about issues that have been long swept under the rug. Immediately, we feel the pain each of the 5 children experienced with the loss of their parents and the difficulty in acknowledging and understanding schizophrenia. While Sabu discovers more and more about his ancestry, we not only see him experience an awakening, but also the pain associated with understanding.
Interestingly, each of the siblings have a different perception of their parents and a different capability of confronting the past. While Sabu appears to find a healing quality in the truth uncovered and recovered, another sibling finds suffering. Sabu’s two older sisters also paint a very unique picture of life before the apparent onset of their mother’s illness and what life was like after. Through their eyes and their memories, we gain knowledge of what it was like to have a parent with a mental illness. The sacrifices these two very young women made in order to keep their family together is nothing short of extraordinary. Survival and resiliency is at the core of this orphaned family and their journey in life is still affected by what happened.
While the specific illness of schizophrenia may not directly impact your life, the concept of identity, loss, and the need to understand our roots is common among us all. It is with Sabu’s story that we find compassion and understanding as well as admiration for all of these brave children, now adults. With Sabu’s creative and candid filmmaking style , we are able to walk along side him in this emotionally 
raw expedition. He is remarkably honest as he shares his personal struggles and stories and we see his courageous humanity.
“Unbroken Glass” is an honest view of family trauma caused by mental illness through the eyes of the children. Sabu’s personal story opens old wounds and creates new ones, however, the film is curative as well, allowing a healing and understanding about family and the need for connections. It’s something to which we can all identify.
Be sure to see “Unbroken Glass” at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., Chicago beginning February 17 through the 23rd. For more information, go to www.siskelfilmcenter.org/unbrokenglass
Listen to the interview with Sabu here