The Opioid Trilogy: Addiction Animated

We will screen two short films from the Independent Lens PBS series The Opioid Trilogy, followed by a conversation with filmmaker Joanna Rudnick, who approaches the subject both as a documentarian and as a sister to someone who struggled with opioid use disorder. Joanna will share her journey to understand the “demand side” of drug use and the complex emotional realities facing families, while working to avoid the voyeuristic tropes that too often shape addiction narratives.

In conversation, she will discuss how creative devices such as animation can humanize experiences frequently marked by stigma, judgment, and othering, and how storytelling can help shift the narrative toward compassion, dignity, and healing.