I’m Dangerous With Love

Rocker and former heroin addict Dimitri Mugianis explores the benefits and drawbacks of using the hallucinogen Ibogaine, a controlled substance in the U.S., as an experimental treatment for alcohol and drug addiction in this eye-opening documentary., Dimitri Mugianis is an artist and musician who in the 1980s and ’90s earned a cult following with his experimental rock band Mr. Unique and the Leisure Class. Mugianis was also a drug addict who spent nearly 20 years dependent on heroin and alcohol. However, Mugianis became aware of Ibogaine, a hallucinogenic drug derived from natural roots that has been used for centuries by shamans in West Africa. With Ibogaine, Mugianis was able to kick drugs and alcohol without painful withdrawal and has been clean ever since. Mugianis became an outspoken advocate for the use of Ibogaine in drug detox, despite the fact it’s a Schedule 1 controlled substance in the United States, and has organized underground Ibogaine therapy sessions in the United States and Canada. However, after one such Ibogaine detox nearly led to the death of a patient, Mugianis set out to learn more about its traditional use in West Africa, going so far as to travel to Gabon and undergo traditional rituals with the drug in the company of shamans. Filmmaker Michel Negroponte followed Mugianis on his voyage to Africa, and his documentary I’m Dangerous With Love chronicles his experiences and how he believes Ibogaine can change the way we treat drug addiction in North America. I’m Dangerous With Love was an official selection at the 2010 Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival.