Film Description: Artistic lovers Viv and Jay are trapped in a vicious cycle of codependent heroin addiction. When Viv’s wealthy parents hire an interventionist to take her to rehab, the couple decides to go it alone with nothing but a suboxone prescription and each other. All they have to do is survive one harrowing night of withdrawal. As the hours tick by, physical, mental, and emotional torments send them searching through fractured memories, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
WITHDRAWAL is a raw, heart-wrenching, and hilarious journey into the depths of the opioid epidemic. Made for just $60k on miniDV camcorders, the film premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival and has won 12 Awards at Festivals around the world. It has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and rave reviews on Letterboxd. Writer/director Aaron Strand has transformed his experiences as a former heroin addict into an unforgettable cinematic experience that has built a grassroots following outside of the traditional Hollywood system.
Featuring a Q&A with writer/director/editor Aaron Strand moderated by Salwa Amin, Program Director of Help4WV
Plus a special Short film by West Virginia Filmmaker, Jen Ogrin
Press Quotes:
“the best film about addiction since ‘Requiem for a Dream’” – Film Threat
“In a world where movies like this would be nominated for Oscars and BAFTAs, Evans and Michal would be taking home all the awards for their acting” – Film Fugitives
“Superbly acted and jarringly raw and realistic to the core, Withdrawal offers a harsh look at drug addiction through expert filmmaking” – Film Focus