While there’s a growing awareness of the addictive properties of prescription opioids, there are a range of other unexpected side-effects connected to these powerful drugs that the public is still largely unaware of, including relationship breakdown, crippling anxiety and impaired physical function.

This 45sec film weaves these seemingly unrelated side-effects into an emotionally driven, layered narrative that explores different experiences of loss before revealing prescription opioids as the common cause with the line, ‘opioids can take away more than pain’.

Dialogue has been deliberately omitted in favour of a poignant music track to open the narrative up to subjective interpretation and connect with the widest possible audience.

The result is a cinematic, emotionally resonant, 45 second public awareness film. One that steps outside the category norms to engage, affect and inform.  

To date the film has been recognised by the EPICA awards as one of only two Australian finalists and is currently a finalist, with award results pending, in the Gerety Awards.