West student's film takes on meth

A little more than a year ago, Alex Mack knew virtually nothing about methamphetamine addiction. She didn't know, for instance, that Salt Lake City ranks third in the nation for meth use among women or that 37 percent of those in drug treatment programs at the time were mothers addicted to meth.

But that was before methamphetamine hit home for Mack. A close relative was addicted to the drug and was exhibiting classic signs of meth use: rapid weight loss, excessive cleaning. The West High School student did some research and discovered the startling statistics about meth use among Utah women.

A student filmmaker at the time, Mack turned her personal experience into a 20-minute documentary that examines the devastating effects of methamphetamine on women. The film, "Mother Superior," will be screened tonight at 7 in the Salt Lake City Library Auditorium. A panel discussion with Mack and several experts on substance abuse will follow the screening.

"I think a lot of people need to know about this," said Mack, 17. "Women especially need to think about this."

Although Mack alludes to her family's struggle in the film, she skips the most personal details out of respect for her loved ones. Instead, she focuses on the stories of 10 recovering meth addicts and experts from the field of substance abuse.

The result is a film that infuses creativity with investigation, and results in an "entertaining, well-rounded" look at an important social topic, said Jack Allred, Mack's production mentor at Spy Hop Productions, a Salt Lake City nonprofit youth media center.

"It's definitely very personal and very compelling in the scope of student projects I've seen," Allred said. "It's a very real topic, and it was a great concept that she came up with."

The documentary was entirely student-produced by Mack and her partner Diana Montero, also a student of Spy Hop's "Pitch-Nic" program. Now in its fourth year, the program gives student filmmakers the opportunity, and resources, to produce a documentary or fictional film in a year's time.

Mack was in the early stages of development when she learned about her family member's addiction. She decided then that she would focus on the impact of meth use on women and their families.

"Raising these issues was really her way to learn about it and understand it and to heal from the situation she'd been put through," Allred said.