2015 2015: UMass Dartmouth presents screening of prescription drug abuse and recovery documentary The Hungry Heart

Q&A with director of award-winning film to follow screening; free admission and open to the public

UMass Dartmouth will present a screening of The Hungry Heart, an award-winning documentary about prescription drug abuse and recovery, Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 6 p.m., at UMass Dartmouth’s Claire T. Carney Library Robert F. Stoico/FirstFed Charitable Foundation Grand Reading Room. Attendees will be invited to take part in a Q&A session with the film’s director, Bess O'Brien, following the screening. The documentary received the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM) 2015 Media Award. ASAM represents more than 3200 physicians and associated professionals dedicated to increasing access and improvement to addiction treatment across the United States.

The Hungry Heart provides an intimate look at the often hidden world of prescription drug addiction through the world of Vermont Pediatrician Fred Holmes who works with patients struggling with this disease. The film shines a light on the healing power of conversation and the need for connection that many of these young addicts yearn for but do not have in their lives. In addition, the film interviews a number of older addicts who talk about their recovery process juxtaposed against Dr. Holmes’ patients. Through the documentary, viewers see the many faces and diverse populations of addiction, and their continued search for a life of recovery.

The event is free and open to the public. The screening is organized by LiveWell: The Office of Health Education, Promotion, & Wellness at UMass Dartmouth. Light refreshments will be served. For additional information, contact Beth-Anne Guthrie, UMass Dartmouth’s Assistant Director of Health Services for Health Education & Promotion, at bvieira@umassd.edu or 508-910-6965.