Recovery City: Documentary Screening and Q&A

In partnership with Impact Norwood, Morrill Memorial Library will offer a screening of the award-winning 2024 documentary Recovery City, followed by a Q&A, on Thursday, February 26 starting at 6:30pm in the Simoni Room.

Recovery City (2024) is an award-winning documentary offering a raw exploration of what it means to be in recovery as seen through the eyes of four women whose lives share a common thread: addiction. In the working class city of Worcester, Massachusetts, Christine fights to regain custody of her young children while grappling with a traumatic past, and battling stigma from the very systems that are designed to help her. Bridget, who found recovery while in prison, now facilitates peer-led support meetings for women. On the frontlines, recovery coaches Janis and Rebecca navigate the city’s toughest corners offering support and trying to save lives. In this portrait of resilience, grit, and camaraderie, the women use their lived experience to lift up those still struggling while refusing to give up hope. Learn more about the documentary HERE.

Join us to watch the documentary (run time 96 minutes) and then participate in a Q&A with director and producer Lisa Olivieri and one or more of the women who are featured in the film.

About the director: Lisa Olivieri is an award-winning documentary filmmaker in the Boston area. Her first documentary, Blindsided, is an intimate portrait of a female artist slowly losing her sight and hearing while surviving her abusive girlfriend. The film has won numerous awards, including the Artistic Achievement Award in Directing from the qFLIX Film Festival/Worcester, and the Jury Award for Best Documentary from The Women’s Film Festival/Philadelphia. Blindsided aired on Maine Public Television in 2016 and received national grants from LEF Foundation, Frameline Film and Video Completion Fund, Women in Film Foundation and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Olivieri is best known for her ability to coax and capture unwavering raw and intense footage from her subjects.

About Impact Norwood: Founded in 2014, Impact Norwood is a substance use prevention coalition that uses a community approach to promote a drug-free and healthy Norwood through education, awareness, prevention and action. The coalition is made up of individuals who have loved ones affected by substance use and/or concerned citizens who want to do what they can to prevent youth and adult substance misuse. The Impact Norwood Coalition is funded through the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant, which is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Learn more about Impact Norwood HERE.

Registration is requested, but not required for this in-person event. Sign up online, or by visiting or calling the Reference Desk at 781-769-0200 x2.