PARENT REACHES OUT TO KIDS WITH DRUG DOCUMENTARY

It's usually a subject parents do not want their children exposed to,
but Paul Perrier believes his movie is different. This Leaside father
is using his documentary to teach teenagers about the dangers of drug
addiction.

Cracked, Not Broken is a documentary that Perrier, a local filmmaker
and photographer, is screening for highschool students across the
city. The 45-minute film tells the story of Lisa, a former account
manager and mother, who is addicted to crack cocaine.

A majority of the movie is a face-to-face talk between Perrier and
Lisa, as she talks about the struggles with her addiction and how she
has turned to prostitution. A scene where Lisa shoots up highlights
the documentary.

It was Lisa, who is best friends with Perrier's wife, Nicol, who
contacted him about making the film. In mid 2003, Lisa was clean and
told Perrier that if she ever relapsed, he could interview her and
film it. In February 2004, Perrier shot the movie.

"I never had any intention of filming a movie about Lisa,"
said Perrier. "Her main deal was she wanted to talk about
addiction and not recovery. I guess she used it as way to help
herself and now I'm using it to help kids."

Since Perrier felt kids relate really well with Lisa, he thought the
film would be a good tool to educate them about the dangers of drug
addiction. He said while the movie is very graphic and uncensored,
teens can learn from it.

"Lisa's story can help people, including young adults, and
prevent them from getting as bad as she did," he said.
"This is something I'd want my kids to eventually see and learn
from. They'd see what consequences come with drugs."

Perrier has two daughters, Dylan and Taegan, who attend Deer Park
Public School, a school that promoted the movie's latest screening on
April 29 at the Regent Theatre. Deer Park principal Peter Thatcher
said while the students at his school are perhaps a bit too young for
the film, parents and young adults can learn a lot from Lisa.

"The movie raises awareness of drugs in our community and the
impact they can have on kids," said Thatcher. "It changed
my life, as it reinforced that drug use is not confined to one part
of the city, it's definitely a citywide issue."

While Perrier hopes he can raise awareness among the city's youth, he
is glad the movie has helped Lisa on her journey to recovery. She
recently travelled to California to begin a rehabilitation problem.

"Lisa's whole story is very surreal to me. Here's a lady trying
to save her life with a movie," he said. "She's a work in
progress and hopefully there is a happy ending.