Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
FM 100's Jill Atwood ReportingAn after school project took on a much deeper meaning for a Utah teen when the topic turned personal.
At 18, Alex Mack is already a successful filmmaker; her film "Mother Superior" is raising some eyebrows with its raw look at a real problem in Utah.
"Mother Superior", Courtesy Spy Hop Productions: "I discovered every family is not perfect, even when they seem to be on the outside. I learned that Utah has the third highest rate of methamphetamine use in the nation, and the majority of users are women with children. I never new before, and it started to make me think, it could be anyone I know."
The concept was born at Spy Hop Productions. Alex and other young aspiring filmmakers come here to learn the basics. Making a film is one thing; the idea is the hard part, but as it turned for Alex, her idea was right in front of her the whole time.
For the longest, time Alex sat in a screening room wondering what she was going to do her film on. She had no idea, and then she found out one of her family members was addicted to meth, and it all fell into place.
Alex Mack, Filmmaker: "They started using it just to lose a couple pounds. And they saw how fast it made them lose weight, and they had so much energy to do everything to take care of their kids, house and their husbands and just everything."
Alex interviewed recovering addicts and experts in the field. Her powerful message touched those watching, but more importantly for Alex, got her own family talking.
Alex Mack, Filmmaker: "This problem will never go away if we keep pretending it doesn't exist. Making this film was important to me. It has helped me and I hope it will help my family and all of you; you never know."
Alex's film has already been screened in LA with rave reviews, and now Spy Hop is hoping to get it into Sundance next year. Alex also had a special screening here that was sponsored by the Utah Department of Human Services, and The Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
