If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when compassion meets storytelling, PBS and Independent Lens have your answer. The two short documentaries — Do No Harm and Brother — are part of filmmaker Joanna Rudnick’s Opioid Trilogy, a hauntingly beautiful exploration of addiction, recovery, and the deep humanity often lost beneath headlines and statistics.
In Do No Harm, we meet Raina, whose 17-year battle with heroin began with a simple truth: she never felt comfortable in her own skin. Growing up in chaos and isolation, she ran away young, and addiction became her constant companion across Portland, Seattle, and Boston. But what saves her isn’t punishment or shame — it’s compassion. Through the unwavering support of a single physician, Raina finds room to breathe, to heal, to begin again. The mix of live-action and rotoscope animation turns her story into art — soft, surreal, and deeply human.
The first film in the trilogy, Brother, is more intimate still. Rudnick turns the camera toward her late brother, Matthew, documenting his lifelong struggle with opioids through raw phone conversations and cosmic imagery that reflects his restless spirit. The result is devastating and tender — a reminder that addiction doesn’t care how much you know about it or how badly you want to stop.
These films aren’t just art; they’re medicine. They show us what happens when empathy enters the frame — when we stop asking, “What’s wrong with you?” and start asking, “What happened to you?”
For anyone in recovery, or anyone who loves someone who’s still lost in it, these stories hit close to home. The names, faces, and cities may change, but the heartbeat is the same. And every time we share a story like Raina’s or Matthew’s, we chip away at stigma and make room for someone else to say, “That’s me. I can change, too.”
Watch both films now on Independent Lens. Trust me — they’ll stay with you long after the credits roll.
Do No Harm
Brother
The Sobees Documentary Review Score: 4 out of 5
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