The addiction crisis in America has reached a new boiling point, and courageous people – at all levels, from all walks of life – are rising to answer the call. Tipping The Pain Scale is a feature documentary film following individuals grappling with the current systemic failures of how we have dealt with addiction in communities and their journey to develop and employ new, innovative, and often controversial solutions to the problem. It is a quasi-anthology, weaving characters through their own stories as they connect to the issues plaguing all communities and the country in an urgent fight to save lives. It is not the tired “train wreck” story of addiction, but rather a gritty and real solution-focused story of redemption.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" – Narcotics Anonymous
The film stitches together the stories of high-profile personalities such as a young, NFL rising star, and the “sobah” Mayor of the City of Boston who open up and share their own narratives of addiction and recovery, while the camera follows them as they’re now fighting back on behalf of others. Joining the battle are other grassroots activists including a spoken-word artist teaching tools to young people in schools through provocative poetry, a young legislator building bipartisan support in a divided state house, and a community outreach volunteer who has personally reversed hundreds of overdoses impacting vulnerable members of her community.
Sadly, addiction isn’t new, and the true enemy has always been apathy and shame keeping those with the knowledge to turn the tide on addiction silent and marginalized. Addiction to all drugs including alcohol has been building to this breaking point in our communities. For the first time addiction’s pain scale is starting to tip towards systemic solutions, because community change agents have finally had enough pain and have begun responding in spectacular ways. They are the everyday heroes. Opening hearts and opening minds. Saving lives.
