Upper Arlington residents can watch a free screening of "What It Takes," an 80-minute documentary on addiction and recovery, at the Municipal Services Center on Thursday, Aug. 20, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker and local recovery professionals.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the film begins at 6:30 p.m. at 3600 Tremont Road.

The screening is organized by Upper Arlington's Mayor's Court, which operates a Recovery Court program for individuals struggling with addiction, according to the city's event announcement. The event brings together several community organizations under one roof, with resource tables staffed by Syntero, the ADAMH Board of Franklin County, the Upper Arlington Public Library and UA CARES.

The film, directed by University of Washington professor Jeff Shulman, follows two stories: a West Coast family navigating alcoholism and an innovative jail-based recovery program in Chesterfield County, Virginia, called HARP (Helping Addicts Recover Progressively). That program has guided more than 3,500 participants through structured recovery, with an 18% recidivism rate compared to a national average of roughly 75%, according to the county sheriff.

Shulman will attend in person. In an April interview with CBS 6 Richmond, he described the personal experience that drove him to make the film: "I have somebody I care about that suffers from addiction and seeing that, I felt hopeless. I felt guilty. I felt alone."

His goal, he said then, is to show people that recovery is possible and worth striving for.

The post-screening panel will also include the city's Recovery Court Magistrate, representatives from Syntero and the ADAMH Board, and program participants and their family members. Syntero, a Central Ohio behavioral health nonprofit that has served area school districts for nearly 50 years, offers substance use disorder treatment among its core services.

The event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served. Reservations are not required but appreciated; residents can register at surveymonkey.com/r/uawhatittakes or email [email protected].

"What It Takes" is Shulman's second documentary. His first, "On the Brink," is available on PBS platforms. The film launched a five-city theatrical tour in spring 2026, drawing roughly 500 attendees to its Richmond premiere at the Byrd Theatre. The Upper Arlington screening is part of the film's community-hosted expansion following that tour.