Independent Lens

The House I Live In

In "The House I Live In," director Eugene Jarecki ("Why We Fight") gives a historical overview of America's War on Drugs and weaves unforgettable personal stories with groundbreaking commentary from a "who's who" of the leading proponents and opponents in this tragic and unending crisis.

The House I Live In: Theme Song Sung by John Legend

3m 19s

In this music video for the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, a montage of scenes of prison life and facts about the impact of the War on Drugs are set against a song by John Legend.

Previews + Extras

  • The House I Live In: Do Limited Options Make Drugs Seem Like: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The House I Live In: Do Limited Options Make Drugs Seem Like

    S14 E10 - 1m 29s

    In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, and other experts on the War on Drugs describe how drugs may offer the only opportunities for those living in communities with extremely limited economic opportunities.

  • The House I Live In: A Law and Order Man Shares His Doubts a: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The House I Live In: A Law and Order Man Shares His Doubts a

    S14 E10 - 1m 30s

    In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, prison guard Mike Carpenter speaks candidly about how the severity of America's drug laws may actually be making it harder for law enforcement to tackle the problem effectively.

  • The House I Live In: Framing Drugs in Moral Terms May Miss t: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The House I Live In: Framing Drugs in Moral Terms May Miss t

    S14 E10 - 2m 8s

    In this video extra for the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, and journalist Charles Bowden describe how the War on Drugs frames drug abuse mainly in moral terms, while ignoring the issue of economic inequality which may actually be the root of the problem.

  • The House I Live In: Does the War on Drugs Target Minorities: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The House I Live In: Does the War on Drugs Target Minorities

    S14 E10 - 1m 8s

    In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, filmmaker Eugene Jarecki observes that while documenting the steps that so many Americans take through the world of the Drug War, he couldn't help but notice that at every stage, Black Americans were disproportionately represented.

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