MANSFIELD — Frank Medley and the crew of 419 Productions were tired of seeing the sad stories as an outcome of heroin abuse in Richland County.
“I’m a tow-truck driver, and I get calls from law enforcement regularly,” said David Kirst, founder of the Mansfield-based film production company. “Every time someone (overdoses) they call me to come and tow the cars. I see the evidence (of the addictions) on a nightly basis.”
(WARNING: This video includes strong images. Parental discretion is advised)
Kirst said one of the more recent calls involved a woman who had run into a stop sign after overdosing with two children in the back seat of the vehicle.
Frank Medley, a Mansfield musician, wrote the song “Struggles” to shed light on the epidemic ruining so many lives.
Kirst and his 419 Productions company teamed with Medley to create a music video which is getting a lot of recognition, he said. It’s a day in the life of a drug addict, but not just any day: it’s the last day of their life.
The video, which has more than 2,300 views on YouTube, shows many unsettling images including the protagonist, a homeless woman, waking up and going to a portable toilet to shoot heroin into her arm.
“This is literally what happens here,” said Kirst, who directed the video. “In the video, shooting up is the first thing she does.”
Following her drug usage, the woman sits on a bench until she is picked up by a man. She prostitutes herself for money to buy more heroin, Kirst said.
The video was shot in Galion. There is a scene where the protagonist is laying in a park sleeping.
“I used this shot to show the fallen and dead trees in the background,” he said, noting the footage was taken after a tornado ripped through Galion. “There are hidden messages throughout the video.”
So far the video has received a warm reception, Kirst added.
“It’s been all good,” he said. “People call us crying because they’ve had a son or daughter who has died. It’s been a wave of positivity.”
