3500+ Films - 2.5 million words – 1 million viewers! Founder and Curator Carmela selects our most entertaining, powerful and inspiring films about Drugs at We Are Moving Stories. These include feature length and short fiction and documentary about the role of psychedelics, fictional representations, women’s stories, real-life stories - and the war on drugs.
Total length of this section: 20 films.
<PSYCHEDELICS>
Dosed - After years of prescription medications failed her, a suicidal young woman turns to underground healers to try and overcome her depression, anxiety, and opioid addiction with illegal psychedelic medicine like magic mushrooms and iboga. Length: 1 hour 22 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Tyler Chandler and Writer/Producer Nicholas Meyers:
“Our screenings so far have played to sold-out audiences and received ovations. People are interested to see psychedelics being used in this context and they’re moved, inspired, and empowered by Adrianne’s journey. The reviews on IMDb are worth reading - although be warned, they include spoilers. It’s still a controversial topic though, somewhere there’s a pharmaceutical executive losing sleep over the idea of a non-addictive medicine that can’t be patented hurting their company’s bottom line...”
Psychonautics: A Comic's Exploration of Psychedelics - Comedian Shane Mauss goes on a series of adventures, and interviews scientists and experts, to deepen his understanding of psychedelics. Length: 81 minutes. Interview with Writer/Director Brian Bellinkoff:
“I felt like the time was right to make a film that could break the stigma of the 1960’s and present psychedelics in a fun, honest, and (somewhat) mature way. There is also a growing need for a solution to our society’s anxiety and depression epidemic. Science is proving that these stigmatized compounds actually may be the medicine of the future for some of society’s most common mental issues.”
Candy & Ronnie - A young man awakens on his couch and pieces together a dark romantic weekend that will change his life forever. A sexy, feverish dip into the seductive waters of drugs and unrivaled promiscuity. Length: 16 minutes. Writer/Director/Editor/Composer Skyko:
“I believe that many young adults experiment with taking drugs. Personally I’ve had a few wonderful, bonding, life-changing experiences while briefly experimenting, but I also lost my brother and best friend because of them. We wanted to show the world both sides of the coin because drugs can be fun until they’re not... and then, its often too late.”
A Midwestern Methamphetamine Fairytale - Cause life gets complicated, baby. Length: 25 minutes. Director Sean Martinez:
“I believe the story was different and compelling, Drug addiction and its effect on your lifestyle and family is a topic I could not pass up. Something like this needed to be told.
The audience was shocked and left wanting more.”
Lost In Carranza - A true story of struggle and hope shot in San Francisco starring Pablo Carranza. Length: 22.24 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Marin Troude:
“On the night of October 12th 2015, Pablo Carranza falls back into hard drugs despite his sobriety and battle against years of addiction. Alone in his apartment, filled with regret and guilt, he decides to confess by leaving a final voice message for his first love.
The shooting was very complicated and some scenes are hard to watch. It is different from what we usually see, I think because we made it with our heart. It’s an art project and a short film at the same time, a timeless moment in Pablo Carranza’s life between fiction and reality.”
Under Water - A susceptible teenager, in trying to overcome the tumult of his home, drowns himself in alcohol, drugs, and parties. Based on a true story. Length: 15 minutes. Co-directors Bryan Fitzgerald and Valéry Lessard:
“VALERY: I lost three close friends to drugs and alcohol at an early age, and was inspired to share this message, make a difference, and be a positive influence to other young adults.
BRYAN: The film is based on my real life experiences. I decided to make a positive change in this life. Aware that I was lucky to survive my struggles, I wanted to be a voice of inspiration and change for others.”
KING - Michael, a High School Senior, has to deal with gang violence, drugs, hatred, poverty, and racism every single day, and make the decision to rise above them to become the change, or follow his brothers down the road into a gang. In the end he has to make the tough decision between betraying his family or taking a stand for change and to become the light in the darkness. Because after all, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Length: 52 minutes. Interview with Director Joshua A. Villalta and Producer/Writer Steve Machovec.
Awaken - A famous musician struggling with the suicide of his wife, turns to drugs & alcohol for healing, but he ends up trying to take his own life instead. Length: 25 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Richard Moore:
“It is a riveting tale of someone who has ups and downs. It will have you on a roller coaster of emotions where you may root for or hate the protagonist. In the end, you will leave feeling like you just watched a feature even though it’s really a short film.”
The King - An ambitious kid sets up his first drug deal, but HIS plans for progress are derailed by a chance encounter with a storytelling stranger. Length: 12.30 minutes. Director Frederic Casella:
“The King is an intriguing urban fairytale with a sprinkling of magic dust. It is beautiful and beguiling in equal measure. What more do you need?”
<WOMEN’S STORIES>
Between Walls - Isabella, Mario and Cristina search in an app to do a threesome. They meet in a motel room between sex and drugs. Are strangers the ones who know us the best? Length: 19.20 minutes. Director/Writer Ruth Caudeli:
“I always write about things that I know and are personal to me. These three characters are all me. But they are also universal, because we all suffer, feel, and keep secrets. ”
Nostalgia - A woman's world is fractured into oblivion as a new wonder drug known only as Nostalgia begins to sweep the nation. Short film. Writer/Director/Producer Polaris Castillo:
“Nostalgia serves as both a message and an emotional rollercoaster for audiences. Movie goers hooked on the concept of a memory drug will be surprised with a dramatically noble character arc that spans a lifetime.”
The Middle - A victim of rape begins working at an intimate retailer where she runs into an old high school classmate who helps her to face intimacy issues through using ecstasy - but all the happy pills in the world can't change the fact that somewhere along the line, life ended in the middle for these two troubled young adults. Length: 27 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Alexandria Rose Rizik:
“I made this film for the same reason I make all of my films... I was going through something and writing about it was my therapy. We all have found ourselves in situations that feel like they’ve ended in the “middle”. That is what this is about - whether that be in regard to a relationship, a dream, loss, etc. ”
Mother of the Year - Sam, loving mother of two, is a hot mess until Grandma Liz comes to the rescue, introducing her to a drug that might solve everything. Length: 16 minutes. Director Makena Costlow:
“I originally thought of the idea because in high school health class, we learned that, by occupation, the two biggest users of cocaine were truck drivers and housewives - I just thought that was crazy. That fact always stuck with me.”
BLUR - After a college student is drugged and raped, she begins to question her reality and doubt what happened to her. Length: 12 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Lead Actress Lauren Fields:
“This film attempts to put audiences in the head of one assault survivor and to feel what she feels and think what she thinks. It takes you on her journey, and on that journey, you’ll see the cracks in our criminal justice system.”
Segunda Vida - As Puerto Rican government officials send hundreds of their citizens to the states for unlicensed drug and mental health treatment, a Puerto Rican woman in Chicago uses her own past with addiction to help those who end up on the streets. Length: 17 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Siyan Huang and Taylor Goebel:
“This film takes us into the lives of people who both struggle with substance abuse and are far from home, and it calls into question where we decide to spread both our compassion and judgment. Melissa was addicted to heroin, and now she helps people in her situation. Where will the people she helped – those folks on the street we usually pass right by – be 10 years from now? ”
<REAL-LIFE STORIES>
The Streets Barber Stories follows Nasir who walks the streets helping those in need with the simple act of a free haircut. Length: 11 x Episodes. Director Vidad Narayan:
“Although we all face different problems and challenges in life, a lot of the ways we deal with things can be very similar: temptation, disappointment, inequality, financial issues, family; the list goes on and on. Not everyone of us has been addicted to heroin, but addiction is something we all know. ”
A Place to Stand - It's never too late to turn your life around. Inspired by the award-winning memoir, A Place to Stand is the incredible true story of how Jimmy Santiago Baca left behind a life of prison, drugs and crime to become a celebrated poet. Length: 83 minutes. Director Daniel Glick:
“I think a key question would be - “Is anyone beyond the point of rehabilitation?” Jimmy is a strong example that most people can be rehabilitated. ”
Dr. Feelgood: Dealer or Healer? - The story of Dr. William Hurwitz - a preeminent pain specialist sentenced to 25 years in prison provides a window into the ethical dilemma of opioid prescriptions. Painkillers give doctors tremendous power to relieve pain, a primary goal of any physician. But this power begets trouble when the same drugs can lead to addiction, abuse and death.
84 minutes. Director Eve Marson:
“1 in 3 Americans suffer from chronic pain, which is a staggering statistic. At the same time, opioids now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined. It feels like almost every person I talk to has a personal stake in the question of opioid prescriptions.”
<WAR ON DRUGS>
On The President's Orders - The searing story of President Duterte's bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war. Length: 1 hour 12 minutes. Directors James Jones and Olivier Sarbil:
“We were both drawn to getting under the skin of such an important issue that had such bloody consequences. We felt that getting access to the cops, understanding the rationale for killing, would be the most revealing way to understand Duterte’s drugs war.
The film combines the look and feel of a thriller with a real-life revelatory journalistic investigation into a campaign of killings. It’s a very distinctive style for a documentary but makes for an intense viewing experience.”
Paglaki Ko (When I Grow Up) - Children caught in Duterte's drug war. Length: 6:16 minutes. Director Shallah Montero and Writer Sol Juvida:
“We made the film to shed light on the effects of the drug war on children who are caught in the middle. There is a lack of mental health programs to help them through trauma but with the help of small, private organizations that help them we see their admirable strength. ”