Synopsis
In a country offering almost no treatment services despite a crisis of addiction, Laila Haidari took the highly unusual decision to found her own pioneering addiction treatment center and a restaurant where all of the waiters are recovering heroin addicts. A deeply personal perspective on the global addiction epidemic, the film follows the labor of love of one woman fighting to keep her center alive in the face of physical threats, governmental opposition and the departure of the international community from Afghanistan.
A word from Tënk
Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium, a narco-economy that has greatly contributed to the proliferation of state corruption, the financing of the Taliban movement and has plunged millions of Afghans into addiction.
Laila at the Bridge takes us into this harsh reality, on the path of Laila Haidari, a courageous woman who has made it her vocation to help people who, like her brother, are struggling with drug addiction in a country where a dose costs the price of a mere loaf of bread. A true example of resilience and acceptance, Laila is a safety net of stability for the addicts she hosts at her rehabilitation center in Kabul. "A bridge never grabs you by the leg and forces you to cross to the other side. A person has to cross by himself," says Laila. It is through listening and mutual aid that she wishes to revalorize these people and encourage them to hold on to life, by sharing their strengths and hopes together. Since 2010, she has been providing the essentials, without any government assistance and in spite of the reprisals and contempt of those in high places.
An absolutely moving documentary that pays tribute to an inspiring woman whose determination to help those who can no longer help themselves deserves the greatest respect.
Jason Burnham
Tënk's programming coordinator
