Addiction has ravaged the world for decades, causing millions of deaths worldwide every year. Sufferers and their families have been living on the fringes of society, but there could be hope for them.
Ibogaine. It’s an all natural, non-addictive plant found in the deepest forest of Gabon, West Africa, where for eons it has been used to commune with gods and ancestors alike. Quietly, ibogaine holds the potential to change the world.
In 1962, Howard Lotsof, a 19-year-old heroin addict from the Bronx, inadvertently discovered ibogaine. He miraculously no longer had the urge to use and no withdrawal symptoms. Decades later, veterans, celebrities, substance users, and psychiatrists and universities alike are considering ibogaine to be a breakthrough in the fight against addiction. Right now, there’s a race to see who can harness the power of this ancient plant to save countless lives lost to active addiction around the world.
We have gained exclusive access to the most important pioneers in ibogaine research, including the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), Dr. Thomas Brown of the University of California at San Diego, who has completed one of the most complete observational studies to date, leading cardiologist expert on the effects of ibogaine, Dr. Jeffrey Kamlet, and Stanford neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Nolan Williams and his brain stimulation lab, who will allow us to watch the only ibogaine trial in the world unfold before us.
Our 90-minute film will change the way we view addicts and those suffering with severe trauma. We will follow the aftermath of the War on Drugs, delve into the opioid fields of Afghanistan, and follow the evolutionary research and treatment being conducted in places like Mexico.
A change is coming. Will you be part of it?
Investigative Journalist/Host
Nelufar Hedayat is an award-winning British-Afghan journalist and television host who has seen firsthand the devastating effects of the opioid crisis on her homeland, Afghanistan, which has become the producer of 90% of the world’s opium.
She has seen her own family battle active addiction and the sheer desperation for an answer. We will follow her as she investigates just how profound the consequences of drug addiction are, whether it be street or prescription drugs.
Having fled war-torn Afghanistan as a child herself, Nelufar’s work has often focused on cultural upheaval experienced by women, children and families in conflict ridden societies. Nelufar previously worked for the BBC and Fusion where she presented, co-produced, and wrote documentaries for television, including Shot for Going to School, where she secured Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala’s first television interview, the documentary series Food Exposed with Nelufar Hedayat and The Traffickers, an 8 episode documentary series now available on Amazon Prime and distributed worldwide by Fremantle.