I lost a close friend to an overdose a few years ago. His loss was devastating to me, but also made me feel a deep urge to do something to prevent others from suffering the same fate. By making a film about the importance of drug checking, I aim to fulfill my personal mission of raising awareness about the dangers of drug use and being a voice for those who are no longer here. Let’s be real: most of the people I know, me included, have taken drugs before. In 100% of the cases, I couldn’t be exactly sure what I was taking. So I just got lucky that I didn’t suffer an overdose from something I didn’t think I was consuming. And maybe you just got lucky too? This project does not aim to promote drug use in any way or make it seem less dangerous. Rather, its main goal is spreading information and knowledge about drug checking, to save lives and spare friends and families from the pain that we had to endure. We all worked together on "highlife" to create a future where everyone can make safer and more informed decisions. We made a film not to sound like your parents saying: “Drugs are bad”, but more to be like a friend sincerely telling you: “Take care”.

Leve Kühl grew up in Germany before venturing to South and North America. There, his desire to tell stories solidified, and he began working as an editor in San Francisco before returning to Germany after three years abroad. Since fall 2020, he’s studying directing at Filmacademy Baden-Württemberg.