Director Todd Ahlberg returns to Miami with his startling new documentary Meth. For years now, crystal methamphetamine – aka crystal, T, or Tina – has been quietly devastating the gay community. But rather than offer a lecture or statistics, this bold new film pulls us, first-hand, inside the experience of meth, capturing with startling precision every stage in the rapid creep of addiction. Our guides along this journey are an engaging and introspective group of gay men from every walk of life, users in recovery and users in denial. Accompanied by flashy, throbbing circuit party visuals, the men recall how crystal seduces, empowers, becomes the membership card for a hot new club, and the ticket to mind-blowing sex. But then comes a litany of harrowing stories of downward spiral. To paraphrase one character, meth takes bigger and bigger bites out of your life: a corporate exec loses everything; one man is jailed; more than one goes homeless. And throughout, the sex grows more jaded and extreme. In one gripping, tightly edited sequence, several men share their stories of becoming HIV-positive. But beyond individual experiences and perhaps most disturbing of all is the palpable sense of the drug’s enduring pull, long after these men have hit rock-bottom and begun to climb back up. On the faces of even the most “recovered” of the group, temptation, nostalgia and sheer awe flicker all too brightly. Meth is unflinchingly honest, emotionally riveting, and truly imperative.

Director Todd Ahlberg and Subject Mark King will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience

Todd Ahlberg’s first film, Hooked (2003) tackled the role of the internet in the search for sex among gay men. The film played over 40 film festivals and was acquired by MTV Networks’ LOGO. His short film The Morning After (2005) was used as a PSA for the campaign “HIV Is Still A Big Deal”.

Regal South Beach
9:45 pm Screening
$12 Non-Members/ $10 Member - BUY TICKETS