Benjamin Singer wants you to know that his film The Throwaway War is not about recycling. Nor is it just about drugs.
“It’s really about how we treat drug addicts and formerly incarcerated individuals,” said Singer, a Communication junior and director of The Throwaway War. “Do we see these people as human beings?”
Singer, the winner of the 2008-2009 Inspire Grant from Inspire Films, created The Throwaway War to take a look into the lives of formerly imprisoned drug addicts. The film, started last summer, premieres today at 8 p.m. at Annie May Swift Auditorium.
“I’m really, really excited,” Singer said. “A lot of people have worked on this project. I’m excited for all of their friends to get to see what we’ve been doing over the last nine months.”
Traveling around the Chicago area, Singer and his crew have been documenting drug users’ struggle to re-enter society. Instead of framing it as a losing battle, however, The Throwaway War aims to show how former drug offenders can become active members of our communities. The film casts off the view of the current “war on drugs,” which seeks to incarcerate and isolate those struggling with addition. Singer said these policies hide the real problem — that our society spends time and money “throwing away” addicts, instead of providing them with resources for recovery.
Singer called his experience directing as “eye-opening” and “humbling.” He said he hopes that the audience will recognize the potential in the film’s subjects, and walk away with “friends.”