A documentary sharing local stories of substance use disorder and recovery is set to premiere at the 30th anniversary of the Heartland International Film Festival this month.
“The Addict’s Wake,” is produced by Brown County’s Glory Girl Productions and was filmed for nearly two years here. The festival will run Oct. 7 through 17 Indianapolis.
According to a press release from the production company, executive producer and producer Lisa Hall, director Michael Husain and co-producer Amy Pausek came together to tell the story of how “our small, tight knit community delivers piercing insight and critical perspective to an issue that is impacting our nation as a whole.”
“Nearly every family, classroom and workplace feel the devastating ripple effects of meth and opioid addiction,” the release states.
“Our community is grappling with one of the most widespread public issues of our time that has been exacerbated by COVID. Substance use disorder and COVID-19 are now called the ‘twindemic.’”
Hall wanted to make this film when she discovered the deep issue of addiction is in Brown County.
“We have to create a widespread emotional awareness of this issue before healing can begin for communities,” she said.
“Even in the case where a person does not have a loved one struggling, we all are affected by the rising health care costs due to substance use disorder and the $119 million a year it costs employers in lost productivity due to inefficient workplaces.”
“This film is powerful because of the transparency and vulnerability of the people telling their stories. Too many have experienced great loss and watching a loved one, friend, co-worker has caused great dis-ease on a regular basis. People of this county want to heal and do better for our community,” Hall continued.
Glory Girl Productions was created to do “The Addict’s Wake” documentary along with possibly others down the road.
In July 2019, Glory Girl Productions formed a fiscal partnership with From the Heart productions, a 501c3. From the Heart takes in donations for the documentary, which gives a tax benefit to donors because of its tax status.
Hall and her husband moved to Brown County in 2017.
She finished graduate school in 2018 and began hearing more about three lives lost to addiction locally in Brown County in 2017.
She began working with female inmates in the Brown County jail.
“Ladies who, like myself, had hopes, dreams, homes, houses, families and marriages. From their one decision to use, it changed their lives because of the highly addictive components of meth and opioids,” Hall said of her time with the inmates.
“I just started listening to these stories and it just started really tugging at my heart.”
After sharing on Facebook about the struggles the county was facing as people died of overdoses, Hall connected with Pauszek.
“She said to me at that time, ‘Do you think there’s a story to tell?’ I said, ‘Absolutely,’” Hall said. “I said, ‘I think we have to continue to tell this story until we turn this tide.’”
Husain signed on as the director of the documentary. Filming began in June 2019 and the project soon received a $25,000 matching grant, which helped them get started.
Hall said the film has “not come without costs” along the way.
They filmed a funeral of a young man and Hall lost a woman whom she met at the Brown County jail who had been sober for two years. On March 20, the mother of four boys relapsed and fatally overdosed.
“That was hard on my heart and to imagine the loss to her boys after getting her back was unimaginable,” Hall said.
The premiere is set for Monday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Toby Theater inside of the Newfield’s (the Indianapolis Art Museum) and on Friday, Oct. 15 at 5:15 p.m. at the Living Room Theater (inside the Bottleworks Building).
Hall said in 2020 that one of the goals of this documentary is to “create a national presence.”
“I am honored and humbled to share the stories of people I have come to love and hope that this film impacts others to do something to help those struggling with substance abuse, even if it grows one’s compassion,” Hall said.
“That is a win in a world where compassionate understanding towards others feels lost.”
For ticket information go to heartlandfilm.org.
