Fix tells the story of the torturous progress of the campaign to set up a safe-injection site for hard drug users in Vancouver's bombed-out downtown east side. The film does a good job to concentrate on two strong narrative stories relating to the fight: Mayor (at the time) Phillip Owen's struggle to pass harm-reduction legislation through city council and social worker Ann Livingston's relentless advocacy for the city's drug users.
While many graphic scenes of heroin injection may not make Fix the best choice for the squeamish, Fix is a fast-moving and completely absorbing look at the political and personal dimensions of an out-of-control hard drug use culture in a North American city. Another appealing feature of this documentary is the fair hearing given to opponents of safe injection sites in the city, a route that many less-honest documentaries do not take.
If you catch the film during its cross-Canada tour you will get a chance to participate in an interesting open forum afterwards with people involved in the film.
While many graphic scenes of heroin injection may not make Fix the best choice for the squeamish, Fix is a fast-moving and completely absorbing look at the political and personal dimensions of an out-of-control hard drug use culture in a North American city. Another appealing feature of this documentary is the fair hearing given to opponents of safe injection sites in the city, a route that many less-honest documentaries do not take.
If you catch the film during its cross-Canada tour you will get a chance to participate in an interesting open forum afterwards with people involved in the film.