Oscar-nominated 'Heroin(e)' tells story of 3 heroines saving lives

Oscar-nominated Heroin(e) lives up to its name.

In this mesmerizing short documentary, three heroines reach each day into the jaws of the deadly opioid epidemic, trying to save lives in Huntington, W. Va., where the overdose rate is 10 times the national average.

The 39-minute film follows Fire Chief Jan Rader as she and other emergency responders use naloxone in hopes of bringing the overdosed back to life.

Judge Patricia Keller presides over drug court, showing both sympathy and toughness from the bench.

Then there is Necia Freeman, who drives the streets of Huntington, feeding meals to women selling their bodies in exchange for their drugs.

The gritty approach of Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon puts us in the belly of the beast. Through these women, we finally glimpse hope.

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The three heroines from Huntington will join Sheldon in walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards on March 4.

Sheldon, who grew up in West Virginia, says she decided to make a documentary, focusing on those bringing changes to the community, despite a lack of resources.

"They've all been working together in the trenches for a long time," she says.

The film, which is being shown in communities across the country, can be seen on Netflix.

"The response has been overwhelmingly positive," Sheldon says.

She hopes that this film can help destigmatize addiction so that the nation can begin to treat the opioid problem as a public health crisis, rather than "a moral failure" of those suffering from addiction.

She says that so many have been so moved by Freeman's work with her Brown Bag Ministry that they have asked, "How can I be the Necia Freeman for my community?"