REALITY BYTES IN DRUG USE FILM

Youth have been given the power to tell, in their own words, exactly
what pressures they face with drugs and alcohol.

Alouette Addictions Services has produced Rewind, a film allowing the
youth to have their say -- with no adult perspective to cloud reality.

"Robb [McGirr, a youth prevention officer] came up with the idea about
is the actual drug use in our community," said Ron Lawrance,
Alouette's executive director.

The organization wanted the teenagers' perspective as opposed to
talking heads telling the public what the issues are.

Teaming up with award-winning film director Michael Nietzel, who has
produced works such as The Wrath of the Dragon and Death by Jib,
Alouette now has its answers.

Nietzel gave youth a camcorder to bring along with them, capturing
footage he never could, he said.

Teens wouldn't want to tell some of their secrets to "some old fart,"
he said.

He gave one boy a camera for a couple of weeks, and "he gave me some
incredible footage."

The film is being kept secret until its premier, which will take place
at The ACT Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.

All Nietzel would say was that "it's a street-level, very graphic
story of substance abuse... It's supposed to leave you stunned, and I
hope it does."

The film has been changed more than 1,010 times before the finished
product, which was just completed in the last week, and may still yet
undergo a couple of tweaks.

Filming began in April and continued for the next five
months.

Eighteen students, most from the Journey program at Maple Ridge
secondary, participated in the project with full permission from their
parents.

Some are users, some are clean, and some have never taken drugs at
all.

"We made it clear to parents that just because their kid appears in
the film, doesn't mean they're a drug addict," Nietzel said.

The film is about getting the full perspective from teens on every
drug issue imaginable, to find out the whole truth.

"It's intended to be a training tool," Lawrance said.

Music in the film comes from local bands such as Familia, and a title
song called The Day I Lost My Mind was commissioned by Lower Mainland
music guru Hoot Gibson, who gave stars such as Sarah McLachlan their
start.

The News was unable to speak to the youth.