WE CAN BE HEROES Documentary Tells Important Story About Addiction And Stigma

Overcoming addiction can be a long road. Filmmaker and Flint native Mike Ramsdell shares the struggle and success of professional boxer Taylor Duerr in the We Can Be Heroes documentary at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19 at the FIM Capitol Theatre.

Ramsdell's We Can Be Heroes documentary follows the story of Detroit's own Taylor "Machine Gun" Duerr as he fights his way to a national boxing title inside the ring while fighting the demons of his addiction and his battle with recovery and stigma outside the ring.

The free event starts at 5:30 p.m. with a recovery-related art show featuring local artists, followed by the We Can Be Heroes screening at 7 p.m. There will then be a post-film panel discussion on addiction stigma moderated by Frederic C. Blow, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the University of Michigan Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry. Mukkamala, Duerr, and Ramsdell will be among the panelists.

Seats must be reserved in advance.

"Addiction doesn't just impact the homeless and celebrities. It affects all members of a community. Stigma is the number one obstacle we face in treating this epidemic. By breaking down the walls of stigma through community dialogue, we know that those who need help are more likely to seek it, and those who can help are more likely to offer it," according to the award-winning Ramsdell, who owns Under the Hood Productions in Flint.

We Can Be Heroes was executive produced by Flint's Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, Flint native Gary Fisher, and nationally renowned Peter Berg of Chicago Hope and Friday Night Lights fame.

"I chair the pain care and substance use disorder task force at the American Medical Association where I serve as a board member. Last year we lost 107,000 people in the United States from this disorder. This is the highest number of deaths ever. The stats are much more meaningful when there are individual stories behind them," explained Mukkamala. "The more awareness people have, the better chance we have of improving."

"The Capitol Theatre is the perfect public forum for these kinds of discussions," says FIM President and CEO Rodney Lontine. "We hope people walk away from the screening understanding the human side of things. This could be you. It could be your son, daughter, neighbor, best friend. The hope is that people will gain a better understanding, more sympathy and camaraderie."

Reserve your seats online at tickets.thefim.org, at the FIM Ticket Center box offices at the FIM Whiting Auditorium or Capitol Theatre, or by calling (810) 237-7333.

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