Saturday, June 19, 2010

ATTACK OF THE HAPPY PEOPLE

by Nadav Harel

Ecstasy, which started out as a psychotherapeutic drug, has now become one of the most consumed recreational drugs around. This film by Nadav Harel documents the flourishing ecstasy party culture in Israel today. Navel says that Israel has one of the world's highest drug consumption rates. Affected by wars, an aggressive marketplace economy and very powerful religious forces, young people in Israel escape their harsh reality through excessive drug consumption. Ecstasy is particularly widespread. Many of the young Israelis interviewed for this documentary refer to it as “the drug of love” and say that when you're on it “everything becomes rosy; you're in a fantasy world; you love everyone you see...” This program features experts who believe in the therapeutic uses of the drug and also opponents of the drug who believe ecstasy use characterizes our consumer-driven society, as many products such as music, clothes, dance parties and so on are being promoted through this drug trend.