Independent Lens
Rewind
Filmmaker Sasha Joseph Neulinger revisits his childhood in Philadelphia through old home movies, revealing the secret that tore apart his seemingly-perfect world.
The Narcotic Farm
The U.S. Public Health Service Narcotics Farm is a federal prison for drug addicts. For 40 years government scientists to find a cure for addiction.
- Premiere Date
- November 1, 2008
- Length
- 60 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Open Call
Producer/Director
JP Olsen
Producer/Director
Luke Walden
We fund untold stories for public media.
Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.
The Film
In 1935, government scientists at the U.S. Public Health Service Narcotics Farm began a quest to discover a cure for drug addiction. Forty years later, this federal prison for the rehabilitation of drug addicts had closed amid scandal over its inmate drug-testing program. Today, former inmates and doctors tell the story of what really happened inside the Narcotic Farm.
