Movie Time!

I know, you're probably getting tired of me writing about homelessness, but I promise, this will be the last such post for a while...

Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to see an excellent presentation at one of our local theatres. Maybe some of you did too, because I moodled about it last month. This Is Where We Live is a film by local film maker, Eric Rice, who visited people with experiences of homelessness in Edmonton's inner city. 

Eric interviewed them and came up with monologues from the stories they told -- which he took back to them so they could have the final say on what would be said. Actors were then hired to do the storytelling, and the result is an excellent and thought-provoking short film.

It will be shown on Zoom at noon MST tomorrow, and in case you're interested and available to watch at that time, the film maker has given me permission to share the link. I'm hoping to see it again myself. 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88223914789?pwd=UVBpdmNELzdsZU5vWGFFL3hrTkJ6dz09

For too many of us, homelessness is an issue, rather than actual people, but films like this help us to realize that losing our homes can happen to any one of us, that there's a fine line between living in warmth and security and living in a tent. All it takes is a divorce, a death, a disease, unemployment, or some other momentary or momentous misfortune -- and life changes, sometimes drastically. 

And as our temperatures plunge this week, it's time to give some thought to what we can do to help. A call or letter to local, provincial and federal ministries of housing has never been more important. As the panel discussion after the movie made clear, we need ALL levels of government working TOGETHER to solve our present social housing crisis.

I hope you'll consider checking out this film, dear readers. It's worth it.