The Business of Recovery

The Circle

1967

Produced in 1967, this black and white film is an inmate's view of Daytop, a drug treatment centre on Staten Island, New York, where addicts learn to get along without drugs. Uncompromising, often brutal group therapy sessions are designed to shake loose the excuses a victim makes for himself. The people and situations shown are authentic; only one actor was employed. The results obtained at Daytop are regarded by some psychiatrists as a breakthrough.

Megacities

1998

Megacities is a documentary about the slums of five different metropolitan cities.

Coming Back for More

2009

Funk legend Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight for more than 20 years. Musicians and the media tried to find the recluse but failed. In 2005 Willem Alkema started searching for Sly. Sly didn't want to be found or filmed, but Willem didn't give up and finally followed Sly in his first steps on stage in decades.

Elvis & Priscilla: Conditional Love

2023

Elvis and Priscilla are one of the most famous celebrity couples of all time. But the story that lies beneath the glamorous facade is more toxic than what first meets the eye. Elvis has defined Pricilla's life. His comment that she was "young enough that he could train her any way he wanted", in the end, came true. Though their relationship was bound by true love, what were the conditions that let it flourish?

Prinzessinnenbad

2007

A film about three teenagers - Klara, Mina and Tanutscha - from the Berlin district of Kreuzberg. The trio have known each other since Kindergarten and have plenty in common. The three 15-year-olds are the best of friends; they are spending the summer at Prinzenbad, a large open-air swimming pool at the heart of the district where they live. They're feeling pretty grown up, and are convinced they've now left their childhood behind.

Mr. Untouchable

2007

The true-life story of a Harlem's notorious Nicky Barnes, a junkie turned multimillionaire drug-lord. Follow his life story from his rough childhood to the last days of his life.

Elton John: A Singular Man

2016

An in-depth portrait of British composer, pianist and singer Elton John, pop star and myth of modern culture.

The Quiet Zone

2017

For those who electrical sensitivity, there aren’t many places to seek refuge. In a remote part of West Virginia, the so-called National Radio Quiet Zone offers one such escape.

Keeping the Promise: AHF 30 Years Documentary

2018

Through interviews with key AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) stakeholders from over the years coupled with archival video footage culled from AHF's 30 years of advocacy, care and activism, 'Keeping the Promise' tells a compelling story of AHF's history while offering a glimpse of, and road map to its future.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

2018

The life and career of the hailed Hollywood movie star and underappreciated genius inventor, Hedy Lamarr.

Good Shepherd Gracenter

2013

Gracenter is a recovery residence that offers a supportive and gently challenging program for women who wish to strengthen their early sobriety. Typically, participants have completed a primary recovery program and are seeking to re-establish employment, healthy relationships, and deepen their spirituality through participation in 12 Step programs. They are committed to being a healing presence in the lives of women.

California Nurses Foundation - A Little Different

Citizen Film worked closely with The California Nurses Foundation (CNF) to identify nurses who are strong storytellers, and engage them in creating first-person documentaries. These intensely personal narratives emblemize strategies for providing healthcare in an increasingly diverse State. Citizen Film collaborated with CNF to curate those stories into a digital curriculum that provides cultural-competency training to CNF’s very large constituency of healthcare providers around the state.