Chasing Life

A sequel to the 2014 documentary Chasing It, which followed the lives of a diverse group of young people addicted to opiates, filmmakers Buck Heller and Stephen Velichko’s Chasing Life looks at opiate addicts in recovery and the variety of therapy services available. Mostly shot at a single rehab center, this largely interview-based film presents harrowing stories, as ordinary people reveal how quickly they became addicted to painkillers, heroin, etc. It’s a cautionary lesson about how easily drugs can take over every waking second of a person’s life, and how hard it is to crawl back to sobriety and gain control. The personal storytelling is often unexpectedly moving, and removes any sense of preconceived notions of "otherness" that some viewers may harbor. Interspersed throughout are comments from a drug czar in New York State government, who expresses compassion and optimism about how to solve the huge problem of opiate addiction in America. The most inspiring segment of the film is shot at a horse ranch, where a Nebraska-born cowboy and his partner talk about the value of horses as therapy animals for addicts (as well as those suffering from PTSD). Offering a humane and loving profile of people who suffer in opiate hell, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)