It was a documentary which stopped people in their tracks and forced them to listen. The harrowing stories of heroin addicts in Swansea were laid bare over the course of an hour as people watching were introduced first-hand to the drug culture that existed in the city.
Edgy lifestyle magazine Vice and VBS.TV rolled into south Wales back in 2009, aiming to lift the lid on the hidden lives of many young people, showing how they were balancing their addictions and personal lives without money or shelter, and explaining at the time how official figures had seen a 178% jump in registered heroin users over the past four years. Their film revealed a startling situation where bags of the deadly drug could be bought for as little as £10 a time and the rising numbers selling it on the streets could make up to £1,500 a day. You can read more about that by clicking here.
The documentary was filmed by Andy Capper and Leo Leigh to show how those in such desperate situations actually ended up that way. The film’s central couple, homeless lovers Amy and Cornelius, whose sad back-story began when she – having been hooked on drugs and put to work in a massage parlour by her mum at the age of 14 – recently lost their baby. That tragedy turned them both into alcoholics. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
