Aaron Strand’s latest film, ‘Withdrawal’, is as raw and unfiltered as the journey that led him to make it. A deeply personal yet universally resonant story, the film delves into the struggles of addiction and the complexities of recovery. In this candid conversation, Aaron opens up about his turbulent past, his artistic evolution, and the challenges of bringing ‘Withdrawal’ to life. He talks more about his passion for storytelling and how he embraces both the darkness and the humour of human experiences whilst also reflecting on the creative choices that shaped the film and the urgent and needed conversations that he hopes it would spark.

1. Aaron Strand, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a filmmaker so far?

Aaron: I started as an actor in New York, had a lot of early success but I was a junkie. Pretty quickly drugs destroyed my life and career. I ended up back in my hometown of Athens, GA, frustrated and ashamed, not sure what to do. I just started journaling. The rambling monologues turned into scripts. With fewer acting opportunities, I picked up my mom’s DSLR and committed myself to learning everything I could about this artform to try and find a path forward. That was twelve years ago and I’ve been stumbling forward ever since.

2. Your latest film ‘Withdrawal’ is inspired by your own experiences. What was the moment when you realized that you needed to make this film?

Aaron: The need was there in the first weeks of sobriety. Unfortunately, I lacked the skills necessary to communicate that need. It was ten years of experiments, false starts, and failed attempts with other genre forms and formats before the simplicity of a narrative about two codependent drug addicts withdrawaling over a single night popped into my head. Once it did, it seemed so obvious. Why didn’t I think of this years ago!? Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, I suppose.

3. How much of yourself do we get to see in this film? And how challenging was the writing process for you?

Aaron: Like most art – It’s me and it’s not. This isn’t supposed to be an autobiographical film (can you imagine the ego? Yikes). At the same time, everything that happens comes from some kind of lived experience, some mine, some from the actors, some from other members of the crew. The writing was informed by a long rehearsal process with lead actors Millie Rose Evans and Brent Michal. When I cast them I only had a ten page treatment. I knew the beginning, middle, and end but we developed a lot of the beats together. It was months of rehearsal before I wrote a formatted screenplay and honestly, I only wrote it so that the crew would all be on the same page.

4. Would you say your experience with theatre influenced this film in any way?

Aaron: Absolutely. I love actors. I love rehearsal. I love discovering moments together as a team. A lot of that joy can get crushed under the technical oppression of filmmaking. Thankfully I got to work with a cinematographer who also came from the theatre – my dear friend, Emily Marquet. She appreciated the benefits of an actor-centered production approach and was adaptable to this. I also spent years working at the greatest theatre/nightclub in the world, The Box, which really instilled my appreciation for well-crafted shock as a way of forcing the audience to feel things. You can definitely see The Box influence in this film.

5. The film is as much about addiction as it is about the process and the challenge of getting clean. What conversations do you hope this film sparks, especially for creative people?

Aaron: You don’t have to be a crazy drug addict to be an artist. I genuinely thought that when I was younger. I used drugs for a lot of reasons (mostly because they felt amazing) but I thought they were a shortcut to creativity. What a stupid idea. The truth is, drugs kept me from my work and destroyed the focus and time required to get good at doing something. I encourage all artists to develop a talent for their talent – and protect their artistic flame from the winds of fear, despair, cynicism, and self-destruction.

6. Can you share with us some of the challenges that you faced during the making of this film?

Aaron: The biggest challenge was using a very limited budget to ensure the safety, comfort, and general happiness of our cast and crew. I had promised every crew member that while I couldn’t pay them a union rate, they would leave the set feeling like an artist and not just a cog in a machine. It was very important to our production team (Myself, Producer Jonathan Walls, 1st AD Scout Smith) that we do everything we could to ensure the crew felt taken care of. A lot of planning, a lot of favors. My mom also cooked some amazing food for the cast and crew. She probably deserves the most credit for set morale – all while her fuckup son made a movie about a very difficult time in her life. The love of a parent is unmatched.

7. The film has a distinct style. Can you share some of the creative choices you had to make to achieve the film’s look and feel?

Aaron: We shot the majority of this film using DV camcorders. DV is a format that is incredibly intimate yet emotionally distancing – the feeling I associate with watching someone else’s old home movies. That feeling is kind of what it’s like to be a drug addict – very raw but very far away. The film also incorporates a flashback structure which is also inspired by the withdrawal experience. Whenever I would kick I would become consumed with regret and shame, my mind filled with memories of “how did I get here?”. I try to never write flashbacks but for this story it was justified.

8. Besides the film’s very obvious themes of addiction, what other themes or messages did you try to explore?

Aaron: At its core, the film is a love story. It deals with themes of codependency and questions such as, how do you know when to stay or walk away? Love can be just as addictive as dope. And when the two are combined… woof. But despite all this “drama”, the film is quite funny. Mostly because I think addicts are funny. When I was using, I found myself in all kinds of ridiculous shenanigans. The kids I talk to who are fresh off the street – they’re always doing the craziest shit. An acting teacher once told me that comedy is defined as “The shameless pursuit of an objective”. Nothing is more shameless than a junkie chasing a fix.

9. Your two leads deliver a well-nuanced performance. What was the casting process like and what distinct qualities did the actors bring to the characters?

Aaron: Brent and Millie are incredible actors and I am so fortunate to have worked with them. I did not know either prior to casting and as soon as I saw both of their work they really jumped out. Brent hides his intelligence behind a boisterous boyishness that makes the character Jay so much more than just a crappy boyfriend and Millie brings this combination of bravado and vulnerability which makes the character Viv so much more than a “good girl gone bad”. They deserve all the credit for these characters.

10. What was the most challenging scene to shoot, either emotionally or logistically?

Aaron: The most challenging scene to shoot was the opening sequence when Viv plays at the open mic. We had over thirty extras in the building, multiple musicians playing live, not to mention Millie played the song you hear in the film live on set. It was also taking place the night after the huge Athens Halloween parade, The Wild Rumpus, (which we also incorporated into the film). That was a wild 36 hours of production.

11. What has been the most surprising audience reaction to the film so far?

Aaron: A lot of laughter. Despite its dark subject matter, the film has a lot of humor. This isn’t a dirge, it’s not torture-porn. It’s a fucking movie! There were also a lot of tears. It’s also been fun to talk to audience members who pick up on the foreshadowing story elements we very intentionally layered throughout the narrative – that makes me happy. I feel like I did my job as a writer.

12. What specifically would you want audiences to take away from ‘Withdrawal’?

Aaron: At the time of filming (summer 2023) an American was dying from a drug overdose every five minutes. Most normal people have no idea. They are afraid of drug addicts and see them as less than human. I hope that by spending 90 minutes in a theatre with these characters, people will be less quick to judge the next time they hear about an overdose, or a halfway house being built, or a syringe exchange program being implemented. Harm Reduction saves lives. We need more access to care and treatment to fight the ongoing opioid epidemic. The only thing that stands in the way of these is STIGMA which is just a shorter word for discrimination.

13. Can you share with us what’s next after this film?

Aaron: I’ve got two features of my own, two features I’m producing, and a new baby girl all in various stages of development. So I will be balancing my responsibilities as a father, a husband, and a filmmaker – most likely going back into production in early 2026. The next film is going to go even harder than Withdrawal. Being a father increases my sense of urgency. More than ever we need modern stories that honestly explore what’s happening in this country without hiding behind genre, metaphor, IP, and the glamour of over-saturated, high contrast digital color palettes. We need a new wave of American Independent Cinema. I’m not alone. A lot of people are saying this. I’d rather be about it than talk about it.

14. Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers who want to tell deeply personal stories?

Aaron: Someone once told me that sobriety is for people who need it, not for people who want it. I think making movies is the same way – at least it should be. The film industry is a nonsensical, ludicrous business in structural decline. And no matter how much you might love it, it won’t necessarily love you back. If you can live with that, stay sane, and still have the same compulsion that I do – to keep making movies – then, what are you waiting for? Get to work. Be kind. Be honest. Start failing. Fail faster. Fail better. Congratulations…you’re an artist.

Through ‘Withdrawal’, Aaron Strand makes us more aware of the realities of addiction. He also challenges the way society perceives those who struggle with it. We see his dedication to storytelling as both honest and unflinching as he confirms that there is a need for this new wave of independent cinema that refuses to shy away from hard truths.

As he looks ahead to his next projects, balancing fatherhood and filmmaking, his message to aspiring storytellers remains clear, be fearless, be relentless, and above all, be truthful in your art.