Health & Fitness
Explore 'High On Crack Street' At The Library
Meet the filmmaker this Thursday. Watch the film this Friday.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet the filmmaker of the gritty, critically-acclaimed documentary "High On Crack Street," which highlights the drug epidemic that once ravaged Lowell. Then watch the film the following night "after hours" at the library with a free meal provided.
Thursday, June 7, 7pm: From Crack Street To Hollywood
About The Event: Author Richard Farrell, also the filmmaker behind "High On Crack Street" - will discuss his memoir - What's Left Of Us - which has just been optioned into a Hollywood movie starring Channing Tatum. Richard will also take questions from the audience and sign copies of his book. The Andover Bookstore will be present to sell copies of Richard's book to all interested fans.
About The Speaker: Richard Farrell is an author, filmmaker, teacher, and journalist. Richard was a screenwriter for "The Fighter" and played himself in the film. Richard's documentary - "High On Crack Street" - aired on HBO and received Columbia University's duPont Award. Richard was previously a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Find out what's happening in Tewksburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Register HERE.
Friday, June 8, 7pm: Dinner & A Movie - High On Crack Street
Find out what's happening in Tewksburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
About The Event: A free dinner will be served at 7pm followed by a guest speaker at 7:30pm. At 8:15pm, the film "High On Crack Street" will be shown. Register HERE.
About The Movie: While Lowell is generally known for its central role in the Industrial Revolution as the first planned textile town in the United States, the city had fallen on hard times since the mills left the city in the early 1920's. Wang Laboratories, a major employer in Lowell in the prosperous 1980's, declared bankruptcy and virtually went out of business in the early 1990's. The Lowell of 1995 had a large percentage of the population unemployed or underemployed, in poverty, and unaffacted by positive things in the city like the Lowell National Historical Park and The Lowell Folk Festival. Much of the film takes place in a lower-class section of the city's (Lower) Highlands neighborhood.
The documentary frames the lives of three addicts against this background; particularly their hopeless situations, while exploring them as human beings. The film reveals the lives behind addiction: their aspirations, why they do drugs and why they don't quit, etc. It interviews their families, friends and members of the community, discussing how drugs have destroyed the lives of the addicts. Richard Farrell, one of the directors, writers and producers, is a native Lowellian and a former addict, allowing the crew deep access to the city's drug scene.
Register HERE.
