Filmmaking as an Alchemical Vessel in the Process of Art Therapy

This chapter examines the therapeutic use of filmmaking as a metaphorical alchemical vessel through a case study of an adolescent boy on the autism spectrum. Drawing on analytical psychology and arts-based research methodology, the study demonstrates how collaborative film creation can serve as a symbolic container for unconscious material and psychological transformation. Working alongside a therapist in a co-creative process, the participant, referred to as Arthur, engaged in play, storyboarding, and audiovisual experimentation to develop his film language. Through these practices, personal symbols and motifs emerged, enabling the expression of inner experiences and unmet needs. The therapist functioned as collaborator and mediator, using amplification to deepen insight and support meaning-making. Filmmaking facilitated Arthur&s;s creative and emotional development, promoted communication, and supported the emergence of a personal myth, with the editing process serving as a form of therapeutic feedback. The chapter argues that film, as a multimodal art form, activates imagination and offers a flexible framework for psychic expression and relational presence. This case underscores the potential of film-based therapy to foster individuation and psychological growth through co-creation and symbolic storytelling.