Union County

Everyone expects the opioid crisis doc to be either pulpit-pounding or voyeuristic—Union County refuses both, which is either admirable restraint or a missed opportunity to actually provoke.

Meeks situates himself within the observational documentary tradition while allowing the grammar of close portraiture to do the heavy lifting; the formal decision to let silence and small gestures carry the weight speaks to a filmmaker aware of his lineage.

The choice to anchor the entire film on Cody's micro-expressions during court proceedings—those fractional moments of doubt, resolve, exhaustion—transforms what could be a policy brief into something achingly human on almost no budget.

In Union County, writer/director Adam Meeks takes us to his home state with the aim of capturing both the beauty of its landscapes and an honest and hopeful perspective of the crisis now synonymous with the region.

After starting to research the topic, he found that 'despite the overdose statistics and stigmas dominating the headlines, there were people getting better as well' and decided to focus his short on a more 'hopeful' story.

Yet, Meeks' film manages to stand out, not only with the fact that it is a redemptive story but with his signature hybrid approach of blending fiction and documentary processes, which gives the film the most authentic and raw feeling.