Directors Enyce Smith & Gina Lamb take on an epidemic in ’Crystal Diaries’
Carrie Fisher once said “Take your broken heart and make it into art.” Gina Lamb and Enyce Smith did just that.
In 2017, Smith grieved for the sudden loss of his friend Gemmel Moore. Moore had struggled with meth addiction for some time, which led him into the clutches of Ed Buck, who murdered Moore during a sexual encounter.
Prompted by the loss, as well as others struggling with drug abuse and addiction, Smith partnered with longtime collaborator Lamb for ‘Crystal Diaries,’ a new film about the meth epidemic among gay, African-American men. The raw, emotional documentary chronicles personal stories of men and transgender women who have witnessed the meth epidemic first hand and lived to tell. Featuring extended interviews with activist Jerome Kitchen, Latisha Nixon, the mother of Gemmel Moore, Smith himself, and many others, ‘Crystal Diaries’ confronts the danger and seductiveness of meth, and posits the way out of the epidemic: by standing together.
We caught up with Lamb & Smith during Outfest to chat about the powerful film, their collaborative relationship, and their hope for ending a plague that disproportionately affects people of color and the LGBTQ community. ‘Crystal Diaries’ plays Outfest through August 18, along with other festivals in the coming months.
Enyce Smith Instagram: @Enyceson
Video Editor: David Beerman
For help battling addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
In 2017, Smith grieved for the sudden loss of his friend Gemmel Moore. Moore had struggled with meth addiction for some time, which led him into the clutches of Ed Buck, who murdered Moore during a sexual encounter.
Prompted by the loss, as well as others struggling with drug abuse and addiction, Smith partnered with longtime collaborator Lamb for ‘Crystal Diaries,’ a new film about the meth epidemic among gay, African-American men. The raw, emotional documentary chronicles personal stories of men and transgender women who have witnessed the meth epidemic first hand and lived to tell. Featuring extended interviews with activist Jerome Kitchen, Latisha Nixon, the mother of Gemmel Moore, Smith himself, and many others, ‘Crystal Diaries’ confronts the danger and seductiveness of meth, and posits the way out of the epidemic: by standing together.
We caught up with Lamb & Smith during Outfest to chat about the powerful film, their collaborative relationship, and their hope for ending a plague that disproportionately affects people of color and the LGBTQ community. ‘Crystal Diaries’ plays Outfest through August 18, along with other festivals in the coming months.
Enyce Smith Instagram: @Enyceson
Video Editor: David Beerman
For help battling addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
