"It is not the flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons." -- Johann Schille

"Maybe geography doesn't have anything to do with recovery but for me it does. This is where I feel safe. I was alone. My kids were in foster care and scattered to the winds. I knew I had to be there. This has always been like a clean, sober haven for me." -- Dustine Doughtery

For any parent, the thought of having a child taken away is a horrific notion. Yet, all across America, children whose families can no longer provide the proper support are being put into foster care. Life-long battles with drug and alcohol addiction have left families struggling to heal and change their ways while administrators are also working for change. A deeply touching story of adolescence, responsibility and the strength of a family's bond among the isolated western landscape that is responsible for both the manufacturing of and liberation from addiction.

 

 

Cherokee filmmaker Heather Rae's new feature documentary, FIRST CIRCLE, shares the stories of families in Idaho struggling with drug abuse, the foster care system and the intrinsic human need for family.

FIRST CIRCLE incorporates multiple perspectives from law enforcement officers, foster home parents and family stories, including Rae's family, to provide an expansive look at the foster care system and families dealing with drug addiction.

To find out more about FIRST CIRCLE and filmmaker Heather Rae, select any of the following links below: