The Hotline is a haunting, meditative look at opioid users connected through an anonymous phone line that acts as a fragile tether between life and death.
With intimate access to people fighting addiction, THE HOTLINE creates a deeply human portrait of the opioid crisis. Callers—each voice raw, and unfiltered—share moments of despair, loss, shame, recovery, and resilience.
Filmed across the US, the film drops into the lives of the opioid users and the network of volunteer hotline operators. As the hotline operators track callers in real time, they stay on the line, often racing against the clock as overdoses unfold mid-call.
These voices, though disconnected, begin to form a collective narrative that transcends individual experience. What emerges is not just a portrait of a crisis, but also of quiet hope—found in connection and in the courage to keep calling.

Directed by Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet (USA)