Vermont filmmaker Adam Benay releases movie on opioid epidemic

11/9/21, 7:06 PM Vermont filmmaker Adam Benay releases movie on opioid epidemic
NEWS
Vermont filmmaker releases movie on
opioid epidemic
Nora Peachin Burlington Free Press
Published 12:03 p.m. ET Aug. 12, 2021
Vermont filmmaker Adam Benay released the second installment in his three-part series on
the opioid epidemic in the Green Mountain State last month.
Benay's short films, titled The North End Stories, tell fictional stories of Vermonters fighting
addiction and substance use disorders. Although the characters are fictional, Benay was
inspired by the real stories of people he knew who struggled with these issues.
Benay, who grew up in Fairfax and studied film and theater at Middlebury College, has
clinically diagnosed OCD, so has dealt with compulsive behavior in a different way in his own
life.
The first film in the series, Pomeroy, came out in 2018. Blue in Green, the second
installment, was released about a month ago. Benay has a script for the third part of the
triptych, as well as some other elements in place, and hopes to shoot next summer. The first
two pieces were produced with support from the Middlebury College Film Department.
In court: Vermont to receive $60 million in national settlement with opioid distributors
For Benay, these films were a way to bring attention to the challenges faced by people with
addiction and to illicit empathy from viewers.
"If someone watches these shorts and finds themselves relating to a character, rooting for a
character, feeling a character’s frustration when they make a mistake… then the shorts have
served their purpose," Benay told the Free Press.
Making a difference: Jenna Tatro died from opiate use. Her parents founded a Vermont
recovery center.
On the other end of representation, he said, these films can be a way for people facing
addiction to see their experiences reflected on screen.
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2021/08/12/vermont-opioid-epidemic-inspired-adam-benay-short-films-north-end-stories/8106313002/ 1/2

11/9/21, 7:06 PM Vermont filmmaker Adam Benay releases movie on opioid epidemic
When Benay shared his films on Reddit earlier this week, someone commented on his post:
the opposite of addiction is community.
"I feel so incredibly grateful for the community that made these shorts, and I hope we’ve
done right by the community they were made for," Benay said.
Both films can be viewed on Benay's website: www.adambenay.com/northend.
Contact Nora Peachin at 609-455-2179 or npeachin@freepressmedia.com. Follow on
Twitter @NPeachin.
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2021/08/12/vermont-opioid-epidemic-inspired-adam-benay-short-films-north-end-stories/8106313002/ 2/2