​Addiction and Artists

“We Are the Only People We Know” is a documentary film project, helmed by former Fargo resident, Ella Rowe. The documentary will provide intimate portraits of artists battling addiction. According to the project web site, viewers will be “invited into the lives of select individuals, who will allow us to take a very real look at the day to day realities of the creative mind in recovery. We will travel with them, holding their hand through the painful recollections, crying with them over time lost, smiling with them in hope for the future.”

Ella has directed several films, including “True,” “Away from Then” and “Moving in Absentia.” A 2015 graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a degree in Filmmaking, she now works at an interactive media and film company in Washington, DC.

People can submit their own stories of addiction and also donate money to help with project expenses via the web site.

HPR talked with Ella about the documentary’s focus and the importance of exploring addiction in small town communities.

HPR: I understand you used to live in Fargo and it has a place in your heart. Explain.

Ella: My family moved to Fargo from Charleston, IL when I was in seventh grade. I started at Agassiz Middle School in fall of 2004, went through Discovery, South Campus II and eventually South High (Class of 2010). The six years my family spent in Fargo was the longest time we'd ever spent in one place, and is still the longest I've gone without moving. People always asked me if my father was in the military...I'd say no, he's a jazz pianist with a sense of adventure!

HPR: Why are you making this documentary?

Ella: I am making this film from a place of heartbreak, with a dream of change. I want to change the way the world sees addiction. I am focusing on artists and musicians because I believe their trajectory of addiction is more external, and sometimes even noticeable in their artistic practice. I want to use highly unique individuals in small communities to counteract the "junkie" stigma and stereotype. My goal is not to generally represent those struggling with addiction; in fact it is the opposite. I could interview 10,000 people and still be unable to represent "junkies.” Why? Because "they" don't exist, only the individual exists when it comes to addiction.

It will reveal the intensely human and non-discriminatory nature of addiction by replacing distant interviews with intimate conversation. I want the subjects' stories to be painted so vividly with the depth of their sorrows, the height of their pain, and the passion of their strength to overcome, that people will not be able to turn away. The world has turned away for too long. Why do people whisper about addiction and rehab? Why don't people talk about their friends and family who are fighting addiction? Why would shame or personal embarrassment ever be a factor if just listening could save someone's life? This film will place responsibility on the viewer to end the judgement, end the stigma, and start the conversation within their community. Even if one life is saved because someone was there to offer support instead of turning a blind eye after watching this film, that's enough. That makes it all worth it.

HPR: What is the meaning behind the film’s title?

Ella:“We Are the Only People We Know” describes the crowd-sourced isolation of a destructive cycle of addiction. When the rest of the world shuts out individuals who are struggling with addiction, they are left alone, with each other, and themselves. It is everyone's responsibility to at least attempt understanding before placing judgement. Why are those fighting addiction not afforded that luxury? Why are they immediately categorized and written off by the rest of the world. We are propagating this cycle of isolation by staying silent instead of advocating for addicts as humans not statistics. It's time to break the cycle.

HPR: What is your timeline?

Ella: Currently our shooting/production schedule is fully dependent on the number of submissions we receive, which is why spreading the word is a huge part of our post-production experience. Once we have received a number of submissions from artists/musicians/creatives, we will start honing down our list for whom to interview for the documentary. Another part of our pre-production is fundraising.

We have created a GoFundMe page, and will be seeking grants for funds to complete the film. We will stay in this phase as long as it takes to raise the necessary funds and find our interview subjects. Ideally we would wrap this phase and move into production within 6 - 9 months with the amount of networking/social media building we are trying to achieve, but these things aren't always predictable! We are also in the process of designing "We Are the Only People We Know" merchandise (t-shirts, stickers, wristbands), and hopefully rolling it out in the next few months to help promote the film, raise awareness for our cause, and reward individual donations.

HPR: What do you plan to do with the film?

Ella: I plan on submitting the film to international festivals, and may also submit it to air on television, if the final product could fit an episodic format well. A film of mine, "When We with Daisies Lie" screened at the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival in 2014. I'd like to submit to MSPIFF again, and other larger, more exclusive festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, SXSW and more.

HPR: Why do you think addiction seems to be an increasing problem now?

Ella: The exponential growth of addiction, particularly in the smaller communities over the past few years has been devastating. The loss in Fargo alone over the past year has left the community shaken. I try not to drive myself crazy by asking why. Instead I ask “how can I make it stop?” I've spent years and years of my life pondering this. Before I was even personally affected by news of an overdose or drug-related death, I was fascinated with addiction memoirs. I felt a very intense empathy for the people whose stories I read, I cried my eyes out when they relapsed, I screamed in triumph when they had gone a year without using. Perhaps that is why I was so confused when I began to notice the utter disdain for drug addicts, by not just one or two people, but nearly everyone. "Leeches on society." "Lazy." "Selfish." "They did this to themselves." I was shocked. People who had become addicted at a young age were sent off to rehab, without a word; the gossip swarmed behind their backs.

In the end I think we all want to escape into a world where we are blissfully happy with childlike innocence, catching dandelion seeds under the sun, feeling the cold water of a gurgling creek dance between our toes, hearing the most beautiful music that will never stop playing. I think in a world where we are plagued with mental illness, it is easy to lose our passion. We can lose sight of what makes life worth living. Maybe it is painting, maybe dance, maybe piano, maybe reading a book. It is hard to know how to make things better in a time when you've been overcome by darkness. It's natural to look for light, wherever you think it may be. Accessibility has made drugs the “go to.” I want this film to provide light, and inspire others to find the empathy to stop the judgement, and be there -- just be there -- for someone when they've lost their light.

YOU SHOULD KNOW:

WEB: http://wearetheonlypeopleweknow.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/watopwk