L'effet Placebo

Directed by Emmanuelle Sapin and Pascal Goblot

The placebo effect has long enjoyed a notorious reputation. To attribute a cure to the placebo effect, was to consider, with a touch of contempt, that the illness was the product of the mental state of a hypochondriac. If he invented his illness, he could invent his cure. Now, in contradiction to these theories, scientific studies carried out over recent decades show that the placebo effect can result in physiological changes that are both observable and quantifiable. By means of a rigorous investigation this film aims to shed fresh light on a powerful phenomenon that is associated with every medical act, in order to lift the veil on part of its mystery and begin to explore our formidable power for self-healing.