The opioid epidemic has been a near-constant presence in the headlines of our national media over the last decade, which meant the filmmaking team behind the new documentary “Tipping the Pain Scale” faced a unique challenge: how to make a film about addiction that would say something new.
“There are stories out there that people have seen so many times before,” said producer Greg Williams. “And the truth is that people are a little sick and tired of hearing about the opioid crisis and the death and destruction, which has touched almost all of us in some way, shape or form.”
Executive-produced by Greenville resident Tim Grant, in partnership with Williams and director Jeff Reilly, the goal of the documentary was to create “the kind of film about addiction people haven’t seen before,” Williams said.
The resulting film, which makes its local premiere at the Peace Center’s Gunter Theatre on Dec. 4, weaves together the stories of multiple individuals to create a more holistic perspective of addiction in America.
The film includes Labor Secretary and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a recovering alcoholic who used to drink until he would blackout and ended up in a detox center in 1995, before building his life back again.
It includes NFL Pro Bowl Player Darren Waller, who overcame addiction to become one of the NFL’s best tight ends on the Las Vegas Raiders.
It includes spoken word artist Joseph Green, who abused cocaine and alcohol until hitting rock bottom in his late 20s and now advocates for those seeking recovery.
“We knew we wanted to cover the layers of this issue because it is such a complex and dense subject,” said Reilly. “We wanted a wide swath of stories.”
More importantly, it’s a story about the solutions that are being created by those on the front lines.
“Two words that always kept coming up when it comes to this film are ‘positive’ and ‘uplifting,’” Grant said. “Something that Greg said to me early on that stuck with me is, ‘We’re not going to do a typical Hollywood train wreck story about addiction.’ And when you watch this film, that will immediately come through.”
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Local nonprofits focusing on addiction recovery, including FAVOR Greenville, The Family Effect and Chris and Kelly’s Hope Foundation will present the documentary.
Tickets are free.
