BEING HERE - 2 Minute Excerpt

Sydney O'Haire

Director(s): Sydney O'Haire

Semi-Finalist - Short Film Competition at Bermuda International Film Festival (Academy Award qualifying) / Winner - Best Student Film at Magnolia Independent Film Festival / Winner - Best Director at New Jersey Recovery Film Festival / Semi-Finalist at Berkshire Short Film Festival / Nominee - Best Showcase Short Film at SOHO International Film Festival / Nominee - Best Directing at Premiere Film Festival / Official Selection: Windy City International Film Festival & Newark International Film Festival

Based on true events, “Being Here” follows the life of Charlie, a young woman in her late 20s, as her three months in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility are coming to a close. In fear of leaving her newfound safety bubble, Charlie resists moving on from rehab — defaulting to all of her unhealthy coping mechanisms that brought here there in the first place.

I am the director, writer, and producer of "Being Here", and it is a based on my real life story of my time at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility and my personal struggle with addiction. I made this film to help give a voice to all those who struggle with addiction and those that love them, and to show the hope and humor behind this disease. It is something that affects every single person in this country, and we don't talk about the actual people who suffer and their experience. I want to change the social stigma, and I hope "Being Here" can spark healthy discussion about mental health, addiction, and the way in which we can live honestly in a world that struggles to do so.