The Smell of Us

Larry Clark made his directorial debut in 1995 with the film Kids, based on a controversial screenplay written byHarmony Korine. The film painted a radical and scandalous portrait of that era's young generation. Two decades after Kids' release, Clark is back with the same idea. This time, some kids from Paris take the place of teens from New York. They are supposed to be even more promiscuous and unpredictable, befitting the scions of the 21^st century, while at the same time more spiritual and hopelessly romantic. In The Smell of Us, the director of Ken Park makes yet another attempt to observe young people, to discover something about their behavior and customs. He again assumes the role of voyeur and of an expert on eccentric and extreme behavior. He accompanies his characters, appearing in their lives like a useless old man. He tries to discover and understand the modern world of smartphones, social media, and YouTube. At the same time, he aims to immortalize whatever it is that might be considered shocking today.