The Ballad of Vicki and Jake (2005)

is the story of Vicki, a single mother struggling with addiction, and her young son, Jake. The film opens as Vicki and Jake are beginning a new chapter in their lives, moving from a homeless shelter into their own council house. But however hard Vicki tries create a home for herself and her son, she is unable to ignore old problems and avoid new ones that arise. Shot with hard-headed honesty, Vicki and Jake combines uncompromising interviews, scenes of drug abuse and touching intimacy between mother and son. It is a film of extremes, and as Vicki finds herself losing control the story shifts to the relationship between Vicki and the filmmakers, neither of whom will give up their quest for a happy ending without a fight.