Alcohol: Choices for Handling It

Alcohol: No substance in the world seems so familiar to us and is so incredibly diverse in its effect. Alcohol is available everywhere and this particular molecule has the power to affect all 200 billion neurons of our human brain in completely different ways. But hardly anyone calls alcohol a drug despite its psychoactive and cell-destroying effect. Why do we tolerate the death of three million people every year? Have we turned a blind eye to the dangers and risks for thousands of years? What role does the powerful alcohol industry play with an annual turnover of 1.2 trillion euros in this on-going concealment? The author, who himself enjoys having a drink, looks into the question why we drink at all, what alcohol does to us and to what extent the alcohol industry influences society and politics.

For almost half of his life, Kenneth Viken has been in prison, and he does not know how many times he has been released, only to soon return . In January 2016 he is released again.

A 1972 educational film by Dan Gibson Productions, aims to guide young viewers in recognizing the temptations and risks associated with alcohol and excessive drinking through the lens of a nature documentary. Through a series of cautionary scenarios and reflections, it sheds light on the societal lure of alcohol and its potential consequences. This film serves as both a warning and a primer on self-awareness around drinking habits, connecting with an era increasingly concerned with youth education on substance use.

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.

The story of Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn whose short & flamboyant life, full of scandals, adventures, loves and excess was largely played out in front of the camera - either making movies or filling the newsreels and gossip magazines. Tragically he was dead from the effects of drugs and alcohol by the time he was only 50 & the myths live on. But there is another side of Flynn that is less well known - his ambitions to be a serious writer and newspaper correspondent, his documentary films and his interest in the Spanish Civil War and Castro's Cuba

Hoy no he bebido

Prost takes you inside Bavaria’s Upper Franconia—home to more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the world. From ancient cellars to bustling beer gardens, this two-part film explores how beer shapes culture, tradition, and community in the region proudly known as “BierLand.”

Podium

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.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Société des alcools du Québec, Francis Reddy tells the exhilarating story of alcohol in Quebec from prohibition to promotion. With the help of historian Laurent Turcot and local producers, Reddy explores the unique relationship Quebecers have with alcohol and its place in their lifestyles over the years.

A documentary chronicling 17 years of Mark David Allen's alcohol abuse.

David Vandenbrink seems like a healthy 21-year-old, bright and articulate young man. There is little to suggest that while in his mother's womb, he suffered permanent brain damage. His condition, fetal alcohol syndrome (F.A.S.), went undiagnosed for the first 18 years of his life, causing confusion, anger, and pain for both David and his non-Indigenous adoptive family. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms seen in some children born to women who drank alcohol during pregnancy. The damage can be subtle or severe, resulting in a wide range of symptoms in the areas of slowed growth, disfigurement, and damage to the brain. Associated behavioural problems include impulsiveness, poor judgment, and an inability to grasp the consequences of actions. This personal story, using video footage shot by David himself, along with the experiences of members of his family, is a hard look into the serious consequences of a little-known, but widespread, health problem.

A Swedish documentary about greasers. It's Swedens first teenage culture which started in Stockholm in the 1950s.

An impressive bottle of fine Scotch is in your hand. From barley to barrel, who made it and how did they do it?

Two years ago Guyon Espiner stopped drinking. Now, the award-winning journalist and podcast-maker has made a documentary about New Zealand's drinking culture and the alcohol industry.

Sardou, autoportrait

Carol Morley returns to Manchester, where in the early 1980s, five years of her life were lost in an alcoholic blur. The Alcohol Years is a poetic retrieval of that time, in which rediscovered friends and acquaintances recount tales of her drunken and promiscuous behavior. In Morley’s search for her lost self, conflicting memories and viewpoints weave in and out, revealing a portrait of the city, its pop culture, and the people who lived it.

See the Sam Spady story, and learn how easy it is for a tragedy like this to happen. Learn how to protect yourself and your friends from this happening to you. Sam Spady had a wonderful life. She had loving parents and adoring friends. She was a homecoming queen and class president. She had looks, brains, youth and promise. She had everything to live for. But all that came to a sudden and horrific end in the summer of 2004 when Sam shared too many shots of vanilla flavored vodka, passed out and died alone inside a cluttered fraternity house. Her death was an unintended tragedy. Binge drinking kills nearly 2,000 college students each year. The epidemic is growing at high schools, colleges and universities across the nation. We hope kids, parents, families and friends will watch Sam’s story, learn her lesson and know when to say no.

A typical group of young people get together at the weekend. Drinking is part of it because, according to them, alcohol is a social drug. But Rudolf knows better, because he is an alcoholic. He has been trying unsuccessfully to overcome his addiction for years. He observes young people as they deal with alcohol.

I would love to tell you that alcohol is bad and bloody dangerous, but it doesn’t seem to be just as simple. My mother is an alcoholic. She started drinking when I was still little, but i never noticed it. Or never wanted to. She has been dry for 6 years, and slowly I began to put the pieces of our past together and tried to make sense of it. I think I should know better now. But still, I run a bar in Berlin Neukölln and can’t imagine my life without it. Because the stuff brings us so much hope and warmth, that we easily forget about the hangover. Sometimes it seems to be the cause and the solution to all our problems. During the making of this movie I met three other alcoholics. Karin, Oliver and Rolf showed me their life, told me their stories and I began to raise the question: Why is it so hard for us to keep our hands off the stuff? But I guess there is no simple answer. Because it would have to be as unique and unconventional as any person behind the sheer word "alcoholic".