Les Etats-Unis et la drogue - Une guerre sans fin (2012)

From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.

Director:

Eugene Jarecki

Writers:

Eugene Jarecki, Christopher St. John (additional writing)

Stars:

Eugene Jarecki, Michelle Alexander, Mark W. Bennett

4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Eugene Jarecki	...	Himself - Narrator / Interviewer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michelle Alexander	...	Herself - Author, The New Jim Crow
Mark W. Bennett	...	Himself - U.S. Federal Judge (as Hon. Mark Bennett)
Joe Biden	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Joseph Biden)
Michael Bien	...	Himself - Civil Rights Attorney
Charles Bowden	...	Himself - Investigative Reporter
Mike Carpenter	...	Himself - Chief of Security, Lexington Corrections
Betty Chism	...	Herself - Kevin's mother
Michael Correa	...	Himself
Michael Correia	...	Himself - Commanding Officer, Narcotics (as Lt. Michael Correia)
Eric Franklin	...	Himself - Lexington Corrections Center (as Warden Eric Franklin)
Glendon Goldsboro	...	Himself - Providence Police (as Lt. Glendon Goldsboro)
Maurice Haltiwanger	...	Himself - ID# 03678-029
Carl Hart	...	Himself, associate professor of psychology, Columbia University
Elzie Hooks	...	Himself, inmate, Lexington Correctional Center

Storyline

From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.

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Plot Keywords:

u.s. mexico border | despair | american history | judge | federal judge | 

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Taglines:

In the past 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world's largest jailer, and destroyed impoverished communities at home and abroad.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [United Kingdom] ITVS [United States]

Country:

Netherlands UK Germany Japan Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les Etats-Unis et la drogue - Une guerre sans fin

Filming Locations:

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,453, 7 October 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$210,752, 10 February 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Charlotte Street Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min (total run time)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Himself - Investigative Reporter: If you stand in a federal court, you're watching poor and uneducated people being fed into a machine like meat to make sausage. It's just bang, bang, bang, bang. Next!

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Connections

Edited into Independent Lens: The House I Live In (2013)

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Soundtracks

THE HOUSE I LIVE IN
Written by Lewis Allan and Earl Robinson
Published by Chappell & Co., Inc. / Music Sales Corporation
Performed by Paul Robeson
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A must-see documentary

In 40 years, of America's 'war on drugs', more than 45 million arrests have been made. The approach has made the United States the world's largest jailer with almost 2.3 million individuals incarcerated. This means that the USA has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world with about 1% of all adults in jail. African Americans comprise less than 14% of the US population but almost 40% of those in prison. Hispanic Americans comprise just over 16% of the US population but around 20% of those in prison. African American males are jailed at about six times the rate of white males and three times the rate of Hispanic males.

Against this background, Eugene Jarecki has written, produced and directed this striking documentary examining the impact of the war on drugs in America. Starting with the black woman who was his childhood nanny, he interviews an eclectic cast of characters with different experiences of the problem: the drug dealer, the policeman, the judge, the prison guard, the life prisoner with no chance of parole, and – most eloquent of all – the creator of the television series "The Wire".

Until recently, the drug problem has been seen by many Americans as a black and brown issue and the strong emphasis on enforcement measures, with a growing use of mandatory minimum sentences, has led to a swollen ethnic prison population that, for many whites, has swept the problem off the streets and out of sight. But the availability of different drugs and the loss of manufacturing jobs has led to more white, working class men being caught up in this destruction of both personalities and communities. So, at its core, this is not an issue of ethnicity but one of poverty.

The film argues that the policies of the last four decades have failed and need to be fundamentally rethought. Drug use should be considered as less an issue of criminal justice and more a matter of public health. Many drug users are not evil or selfish but victims of poverty and deprivation who are trying to find some income where there is little employment and some solace when life is so miserable.

This is a stunning documentary that raises profound issues – and not just for Americans. It will not be an easy film to see at the cinema, so catch it on television (as I did) or buy or rent it.