Oscar-Nominated Heroin(e) Director on Documenting the National Opioid Crisis

Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon is a native of West Virginia and saw the consequences of opioid addiction in her own community.

In her short documentary Heroin(e), which is now streaming on Netflix, she takes a closer look at the crisis while focusing on three female leaders who are making a difference on the ground.

The feature is set in Huntington, West Virginia. In the movie’s opening moments, the film notes that Huntington “has been called the overdose capital of America” and “its overdose death rate is 10 times the national average.”

Instead of focusing on the community’s pain,