This documentary short by Adam Michael Becker focuses on a subject that rarely pops up in the news today: homelessness in America. Shot on location in Seattle, the film follows four men who have found themselves living the American nightmare.
The men have some common ground – two are disabled (one is a kidney dialysis patient, the other suffered a stroke) and two will not live in traditional shelters (one resides in his truck, the other prefers living in a tent). A soured economy, prejudice against older workers and, in one case, the inability to move beyond a previous criminal conviction have kept the men without a home.
None of the men profiled here have time for self-pity. They make money by selling the street newspaper Real Change News, which is one of the few employment outlets available for Seattle’s homeless. They tirelessly labor on to meet the indignities and challenges of each new day; whether they will triumph remains to be seen, but no one seems optimistic anymore.
If anything, this poignant and disturbing short offers a harsh reminder that homelessness is still alive and well. And anyone who babbles on about how the economy is recovering should take a look at the film — in the worst case scenario, the men in this film will someday represent a substantial demographic and not just an urban fringe.
