NYAPRS Note: This film highlights the ‘emerging public recovery movement’ related to addiction. Films like this one can make significant changes in public perception about addiction and psychiatric disabilities. If you would like to show this film in your area, visit Gathr at https://gathr.us/screening/6792.
Film Highlights Addiction Recovery of Over 23 Million
Fosters Daily Democrat; Editor, 1/15/14
A feature film about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery and the emerging public recovery movement will be shown at Fox Run Stadium 15 in Newington, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m.
The film is brought to Newington by a new crowd-sourcing distribution service called Gathr. Gathr’s “theatrical-on-demand” process allows movie-goers to bring the movies they want to watch to their nearby local theater with no facility rental cost and no risk.
The Anonymous People sneak preview features interviews with more than 30 people among the millions in long-term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction who are making the courageous decision to speak out publicly.
They, and the film, question why the United States has criminalized and too often given superficial treatment to a chronic illness — addiction. As a result, addiction now comes with an annual price tag of $350 billion. The American approach has put most of the burden of long-term addiction treatment on anonymous, free, 12-step programs. Those programs have done a good job, but no other health problem is treated this way.
In addition, the culture of anonymity in these programs, while it has protected individuals from stigma, has also unintentionally perpetuated false perceptions of people with addiction — as the public doesn’t see how often people in their lives recover.
“This film is not your tired old addiction story often seen on reality television or in the news,” said film producer Greg Williams. “There are no needles hanging out of people’s arms, pictures of the brain, or fried eggs in a pan. We set out to find the answer to one very fundamental question: Why don’t we treat addiction in this country like any other health issue?”
The Anonymous People also shines a light on prominent people who are not very anonymous and are living publicly as people in long-term recovery themselves: Award winning actress Kristen Johnston, former NBA star Chris Herren; Tara Conner, Miss USA 2006; former congressman Patrick Kennedy; veteran news anchor Laurie Dhue; Tom Coderre, chief of staff to Rhode Island Senate president and many others. They have chosen to “come out” with their recovery in an effort to counter the existing public perception of other people just like them.
This film aims at transforming public discourse in much the same way that activists once decided that an honest open discussion had to take place about topics such as breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, and being gay in order to spark widespread change.
The Anonymous People is produced and directed by Greg Williams; written by Aaron Cohen, Greg Williams, Jeff Reilly, and Bud Mikhitarian; executive produced by Paul McCulley; co-executive produced by John Silverman; photographed by Craig Mikhitarian; and edited by Jeff Reilly; with an original score by Brendan Berry.
Special event screening tickets are available now by clicking herehttps://gathr.us/screening/6792.
This link connects to the movie trailer: http://www.theanonymouspeople.com.