Recovery City is a cinema verité immersive portrait of what it means to be in recovery. While my first film, Blindsided, relied upon on-camera interviews, voice overs, and archival video, this film is immediate, first person, and rough and tumble, balancing intimate moments with the street level view of people’s day to day trials. Up close scenes are juxtaposed against outdoor events, such as marches and police ride-alongs, which require a flexible fast paced, responsive shooting style. Three distinct narratives of Recovery City each approach recovery from different perspectives allowing me to portray a complex depiction of both the hardships and victories of recovery.

Built on trust, my intimate filming style allows the four women in the film to tell their stories without exploiting them in the process. Building these relationships gave me access to shoot scenes intimately and without barriers - the viewer feels their anxiety and hears their breathing. Since the beginning I have been transparent with all the women who appear about where the footage is going and what I am questioning. This kind of mutual respect is paramount to the making of an honest film that conveys authenticity. The direct and visceral emotion captured in the footage circumvents the common preconceived ideas about the kinds of people who are in recovery.

Through various community support groups, a wide net was cast to find women who would be interested in committing their time and stories. Rebecca and Janis jumped at the chance to share their work. Bridget agreed to let a camera into her meetings at Everyday Miracles. Christine, the most vulnerable of the film’s subjects, agreed to be filmed as an attempt to give forward. While she was not confident that she would get her kids back, Christine hoped that letting people see her efforts might help other struggling women. In the end her participation has been invaluable because her story allows us to examine the cultural stigmas that make life so challenging for women in recovery and we get to celebrate her determination when the state finally allows her children to return.

Many recovery stories we’ve seen end when the person proclaims their sobriety, but in fact, this is when the hard work of recovery actually begins. In the case of women, this is the launch of their journey to rebuild and reclaim all that they lost in the wake of their addiction. The audience will see working class women who have struggled to rescue their lives from addiction. Healing from traumatic and painful experiences is a difficult and important part of recovery. It is the film's intent to offer these women’s stories in the dignified voice they deserve, while honoring the enormous trust they've afforded me.

-Lisa Olivieri