Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2023: As Prescribed | Interview of Holly Hardman
As Prescribed is a eye-opening, stirring and necessary story of injustice and resilience by Holly Hardman, whom we had the pleasure of speaking with.
As lucky media partners of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, we were delighted to discover a powerful and necessary documentary feature by director Holly Hardman, As Prescribed. As explained by the filmmaker herself: “As Prescribed is about the millions of people around the world who have taken or are taking a benzodiazepine as prescribed only to discover that they were never adequately warned of the risks.”
As Prescribed is a superb swipe. The film is the fruit of a thorough analysis from a committed filmmaker who uses documentary film as a platform to expose the unseen. We had the honor of speaking with Holly Hardman about the genesis and making of As Prescribed, her relationship with the people she filmed and her expectations from screening the film around the world and in front of decision makers.
“I thought it was important to tell the story about benzodiazepine illness and injury in a manner that would leave no doubt about the veracity of victims’ stories. ”
Film Fest Report: What led you to this story? And how long did you shoot?
Holly Hardman: Having learned of the widespread incidence and misunderstood nature of benzodiazepine harm while I was tapering off clonazepam and not finding accurate coverage in the media, I thought it was important to tell the story about benzodiazepine illness and injury in a manner that would leave no doubt about the veracity of victims’ stories.
As Prescribed is about the millions of people around the world who have taken or are taking a benzodiazepine as prescribed only to discover that they were never adequately warned of the risks. Though, when production on As Prescribed began, I did not know the precise form the narrative would take. I did sense that we would be filming for at least five years. I knew that it would be important to make clear that tapering off a benzodiazepine like Ativan or Valium can take a year or more and that satisfactory healing can take years. I wanted audiences to somehow experience this with the film’s participants.
Knowing how long it often takes to discontinue a benzodiazepine safely — for me 22 months — with healing or a return to systemic homeostasis often taking years, I assumed I would be filming for five to ten years. Production started in 2014, and our final location shoot took place during the pandemic when Geraldine’s storyline offered closure — when we could see that the legislation she was involved in was finally being taken seriously. And we just edited in some 2023 updates.
“The more I learned about benzodiazepine prescribing and the harm they too often cause, the more shocked and angry I became. ”
Film Fest Report: This sort of David vs Goliath story is gut-wrenching and shocking. Did your mindset evolve during the process of making the film? Did you get sometimes more pessimistic, or optimistic?
Holly Hardman: I always remained optimistic about finishing As Prescribed, but the more I learned about benzodiazepine prescribing and the harm they too often cause, the more shocked and angry I became.
Benzodiazepines like clonazepam, lorazepam, and diazepam (the “pam” drugs) can be incredibly helpful short-term. The problem is that too often they are prescribed long-term. I would hear about members of the benzo-harmed community, including the film’s participants, attempting to draw attention to the problem. They were trying to educate their doctors, alert the media, and approach lawmakers. Usually, it seemed they were disbelieved and dismissed. When these stories were relayed to me or when I experienced them first-hand, it only made my resolve to complete the film stronger. I will never understand why the medical field has refused to embrace research that clearly shows the dangers. I also see reports of increased benzodiazepine sales around the world and that is also discouraging.
There have been grassroots efforts to organize, as the film shows. And some have already been making a difference, including important research on BIND (benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction). That gives me hope.
Film Fest Report: What comes to the fore in the film is the resilience of some protagonists and the solidarity among the victims. How did you want to include this aspect in the film?
Holly Hardman: I tried to make the point that the ability to persevere against crazy odds over and over, despite being ignored or dismissed, while holding steadfast to hard-earned truths, are characteristics that define benzodiazepine victims.
As the audience can also see, all is not calm and kumbaya in the benzodiazepine-harmed world. There is so much severe illness with myriad confounding and frightening complications. This affects temperaments and behavior. Yet, to a fault, no matter how ill As Prescribed’s participants are, they want to aid each other and warn the world of benzodiazepine risks. Whether it is Geraldine or Sonja speaking up in a legislative hearing, Matt helping in benzodiazepine support groups, or benzo victims joining together from disparate locations like England, Denmark, and Japan for World Benzo Awareness Day, there is a commitment to a shared cause.
Most benzo victims would say that they never want anyone else to experience what they have, and that is why they feel compelled to speak out, even while homebound and isolated from the world at large because of BIND (benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction).
“Geraldine was open to being filmed because she saw it as a good opportunity to promote benzodiazepine awareness.”
Film Fest Report: Geraldine Burns appears as a deeply inspiring person, survivor and fighter. Did you end up closer to her at some point? What does she inspire you, on a personal level?
Holly Hardman: Geraldine was open to being filmed because she saw it as a good opportunity to promote benzodiazepine awareness. I don’t think she loved the filming process or expected it to be as intrusive as filming sometimes was or for the process to take as many years as it did.
Nevertheless, she kept her faith in the project and often tipped me off to prime filming times or shared privileged information with me. For example, she arranged things so that I could meet Rep. Paul McMurtry, getting the legislation story on record the first time we filmed. That was prescient of her. She understood the promise of legislation more than I did. And I am grateful.
From the start, I could see she was a dynamo with an unusual ability to lead while remaining utterly approachable and down-to-earth. She could rally the troops for all manner of benzodiazepine-related outreach. Doing so for the “benzo bill” was an incredible feat because she had no funds and no well-financed lobbying organization to help her galvanize the benzo community. But galvanize she did.
Geraldine and I have actually grown to be quite good friends. We remain in regular touch. Sometimes we can really make each other laugh, even when reminiscing about the absurd cruelty of our personal benzodiazepine withdrawal experiences. More than anything, we remain focused on a shared mission to spread awareness and make change.
Film Fest Report: What were your hopes and expectations from screening the film around the world? Did you wish to raise awareness among the general public? Or lead to political measures?
Holly Hardman: To me, it feels like we are just getting started. As Prescribed has not had a typical festival run. We were incredibly fortunate to have our international premiere at Sheffield DocFest followed by excellent festivals like Boston GlobeDocs, the Global Health Film Festival, and now Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. But funding deficits and health issues (mine) actually hampered our progress for the better part of the past year. I just kept reminding myself that we made a great film and that As Prescribed has staying power.
Time and good fortune seem to be on our side now. I just started working with two powerhouse impact producers, Bonnie Abaunza and Kathleen Rogers. Kathleen has already created a brilliant toolkit as a screening supplement. The Video Project will be launching As Prescribed to the institutional market this fall. We did an advance screening ahead of the release at Sheffield University in the UK last month and the response was positive across the board. We will have the film on a streaming platform by late 2023 or early 2024.
Because patients continue to be prescribed benzodiazepines without informed consent and because most prescribers are not availing themselves of current research, As Prescribed needs to be seen as far and wide as possible. We will join forces with stakeholders who are dedicated to implementing improvements in education, treatment, research, and policy change.
The Massachusetts “benzo bill” has been reintroduced. I have already joined forces on this with Geraldine and her son Garrett, and we are arranging a screening of As Prescribed for state legislators. I am eager to engage with lawmakers to push for an informed-consent bill, with others to come wherever a benzo-wise person is ready to follow Geraldine’s lead and wherever informed-consent laws are possible.
Make sure to catch As Prescribed at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2023, running online on July 1st-31st, 2023 and in theaters on July 21st-30th. Book your screening here.
