On Tuesday the Non-fiction He was doing a historical memory job in a very different sense than this type of perspective usually has in the past. Memory of the heroineShe sought out as witnesses the victims of this drug, not only users and former users, but also those who lost loved ones due to reasons related to its use. It's a perspective that adds a sociopolitical dimension, going beyond the family drama behind each case.
The documentary began with statements from Carla Simón. Her testimony served as a hook, as she is a well-known figure. Through her films, the director has delved into the vital and emotional implications of having parents who died of AIDS as a consequence of heroin addiction. She has always been able to bring depth, sensitivity, and nuance to this circumstance with a discourse that avoids clichés. The questions the director asks about how this situation shaped her life and how heroin and the social context determined her parents' lives allowed her to approach the other stories with greater complexity.
The documentary's obsession was to avoid judgment and perpetuate the stigma that has always surrounded drug addiction. The inclusion of archival footage from the 1980s was very well done, some of it deeply moving, such as the images of mothers protesting against drugs in Galicia by banging on the door of a drug dealer's house. This approach addresses the issue not as isolated cases but as a structural problem with political implications, involving the complicity of law enforcement, especially in the Basque Country.
A noteworthy aspect that resonated more implicitly with the viewer was the testimony of former users who had overcome their addiction. These individuals completely shattered the stereotype of the heroin user that audiovisual culture has reinforced. This also served to highlight the widespread nature of the tragedy of addiction. Economic resources and family support were no guarantees, but sometimes they provided opportunities for recovery that not everyone had. The documentary treated all witnesses equally. And it was excellent how it also included users facing social exclusion who still struggle to live with serious aftereffects and other addictions. A dose of reality to underscore the long-term consequences of heroin and its cruelty.
The ending was almost poetic. It closed the circle shared between the stories of Carla Simón and Xúlia, another of the protagonists. The end credits included the recollections of some former users about the sensations of heroin. Proof of the enormous power of this drug despite the passage of time.
