Doc/Fest - Sheffield

Dimitri had been a dope addict for twenty years, taking dangerous amounts of cocaine and heroin, whilst watching friends around him die of murder, overdoses and AIDS. Then a single dose of a drug called Ibogaine which comes from the root of a West African plant stopped his addiction cold, and he never used again. Now a much cleaned up Dimitri has become an Ibogaine provider, devoting his life to helping other addicts. The trouble is, it’s illegal in America, and its strong hallucinogenic properties provide different experiences for everyone who tries it. Filmmaker Michel Negroponte enters the worldwide subculture devoted to Ibogaine, and follows Dimitri over three years, as he attempts to help a range of addicts, with mixed success. When Negroponte tries Ibogaine for himself he experiences firsthand its propensity to ‘break open your head’. A thoughtful, often harrowing look at addiction and the drive for redemption.