SAN ANTONIO – A powerful look into the lives of mothers struggling with addiction is screening Thursday at Santikos Palladium.
The short film “Letter to My Mother” features several San Antonio women who have battled addiction. Director and photographer Branislav Jankic, whose own mother battled addiction, based the film on a book he wrote about the topic. The book has pictures of mothers and their children, along with letters they wrote to each other about addiction.
Recommended Videos
Jankic began the documentary last summer, using the same families and stories from his book.
Melissa Dobberton, a former addict, was featured in the book and the film.
“The addiction ... the world looks at it differently,” Dobberton said. “You hear that a lot. ‘You must not love your kids.’ And that couldn’t be further from the truth. It causes a lot of pain and anguish for mothers.”
Dobberton has been clean for 20 years and works at San Antonio’s Alpha Home, an addiction recovery center. She said she is proud to be part of a project that strives to lift the stigma of addiction.
The film screening for “Letter to My Mother” is from 7 to 8 p.m Thursday. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or on the Santikos Palladium website.