Sister Helen 2002
Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40th Street, New York, NY 10016; 202-808-4980
Produced by Rob Fruchtman and Rebecca Cammisa
Directed by Rob Fruchtman and Rebecca Cammisa
VHS, color, 59 min.
Adult
Sociology, Health Sciences, Psychology
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Buzz Haughton, Shields Library, University of California, DavisThis film chronicles the life of Sister Helen, a Benedictine nun who lost both her husband and two sons to alcoholism and/or drug abuse. Today she runs the John Thomas Travis Center for chemical dependent-men in Harlem, New York City. She exemplifies what is referred to as "tough love": residents are held to strict requirements regarding curfew, recovery meeting attendance and diet; they are subject to immediate expulsion if they violate any of these rules.
Although Sister Helen's approach to "reforming" chemically-dependent persons is subject to criticism supported in the juried literature of drug dependency, this film demonstrates quite lucidly one technique used to make addicts productive members of society.