The director has stepped behind the camera to direct her first feature film, through which she addresses the opioid crisis with incredible nuance. 

Given the high-profile and incredibly complex nature of the opioid crisis in America today, it takes a bold and assured voice to explore the theme in a <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/annasophia-robb-susan-sarandon-roger-vivier-2019">directorial debut</a>. But in the hands of writer-director Annabelle Attanasio and her feature debut Mickey and the Bear, the topic is addressed with incredible nuance and sincerity.

Starring <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/model-cami-morrone-is-making-her-first-serious-foray-into-film">Camila Morrone</a> as the titular Mickey,&nbsp;Mickey and the Bear is not your typical coming-of-age story. Central to the film&rsquo;s story is Mickey&rsquo;s relationship with her father, an Iraq War veteran who battles with opioid addiction.

&ldquo;I started researching veteran culture when I began working on the script five years ago,&rdquo; Attanasio notes, &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s a subject that isn&rsquo;t really discussed in a nuanced and multi-dimensional way in film today. And you can&rsquo;t really have that conversation without touching upon the opioid crisis because they are so interlinked.&rdquo;

Camila Morrone as Mickey in “Mickey and the Bear”

Working to financially support both herself and her father, Mickey is forced to address the volatility of her father&rsquo;s addiction, while also grieving the death of her mother&mdash;not to mention deal with all the angst that is a rite of passage for any teen yearning to leave home.

For Attanasio, Mickey and the Bear is an exploration of the father-daughter relationship told, importantly, from the perspective of the daughter. &ldquo;I noticed there was a lack of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/categories/film-tv">films</a> like this when I was growing up,&rdquo; she notes, &ldquo;and I was interested in telling the story of the father-daughter dynamic from the perspective of a girl.&rdquo; Indeed, as she notes, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s very rare that we shift the gaze from the perspective of a spiraling male figure to that of a strong young woman.&rdquo; That alone is reason enough to hold our attention.

Annabelle Attanasio Flips the Script with 'Mickey and the Bear'

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Annabelle Attanasio Flips the Script with 'Mickey and the Bear'

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