Damage Done: The Drug War Odyssey

200654 min 26 secFilm: Documentary

Direction: Connie Littlefield

Production: Ann BernierKent MartinChristopher Zimmer

Script: Connie Littlefield

Produced by imX Communications inc. in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada, with the participation of the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation, in association with Global Television, a division of CanWest Media Works Inc and the assistance of the Nova Scotia Film Industry Tax Credit and The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

Meet a group of maverick cops - and former cops - who have put in decades fighting the war on drugs. They may be libertarians, Republicans, socialists or evangelical Christians, but they all believe strongly that drug prohibition is a terrible mistake and that all illicit drugs should be in the hands of government, not under the control of criminals.

John Gayder, a currently employed constable with nearly 20 years experience, is our guide to the world of pro-legalization cops. Among this group is the legendary Frank Serpico, the man who blew the whistle on corruption in the New York Police Department, and who was shot in the face for his efforts. Then there's retired police captain Peter Christ, who spent 20 years enforcing drug laws before co-founding the group LEAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. These are only a couple of the men who tell us their incredible stories.

Watch Damage Done: The Drug War Odyssey and you?ll be compelled to ask yourself: Is the war on drugs doing more damage than the drugs themselves?

Availability


Subject categories


  • Social Issues > Crime and Delinquency
  • Law and Crime > CrimesDrug Traffic and Substance Abuse

Credits


writer
Connie Littlefield
director
Connie Littlefield
producer
Ann Bernier
Kent Martin
cinematographer
Kyle Cameron
editor
Angela Baker
music composer
Asif Illyas
Shehab Illyas
narrator
Cathy Jones
production manager
Margaret Harrison
researcher
Lisa Bower
Elizabeth Klinck
production accountant
Robert Hagen
assistant editor
Roz Power
technical coordinator
Roz Power
second assistant editor
Ariel Nasr
production consultant
Neil Boyd
firearms consultant
Gerry Gamble
sound recordist
Juan Gutiérrez
Stephen McCabe
Jeff Henschel
lap steel
Jamie Robinson
baritone guitar
Jamie Robinson
production assistant
Sean Lang
additional camera
Gustavo Andrade
Mark Stoloroff
Christopher Walters
props
Teresita Doucet
post-production
PowerPost Productions
online editor
Doug Woods
colourist
Doug Woods
assistant on-line editor
Chris MacIntosh
dialogue editor
Bob Melanson
sound designer
René Beaudry
foley artist
Dan Wagner
foley recordist
Ken MacCaull
re-recording mixer
Allan Scarth
post coordinator
Sara Thomas
closed captioning
Andrew Anningson
graphic designer
Ron McDougall
corporate accountant
Susan Crowell
centre administrator
John William Lutz
production supervisor
Patricia Coughran
marketing manager
Amy Stewart Gallant
executive producer
Kent Martin
Christopher Zimmer