Thirty years ago, Larry Clark’s directorial debut Kids (1995) hit theaters across the country, offering audiences a look into the lives of unsupervised teenagers as they skated, partied, had unprotected sex, and did drugs over the course of one day in New York City. In order to realistically depict the lives of youth in New York City during the ‘90s, Clark spent a number of years hanging out with skaters downtown, particularly in Lower Manhattan’s Washington Square Park. Through spending time in this scene, Clark would meet an 18 year-old Harmony Korine, who he later enlisted to write the film’s script, as well as many of the film’s actors, who were casted regardless of any prior acting experience.Initially receiving backlash for its shocking subject matter, Kids became seen as a cult classic, launching the careers of many involved including Chloë Sevigny, Justin Pierce, Harmony Korine, and Leo Fitzpatrick.
