Intro: Documentaries about Homelessness
There are over 45 million people globally without a home. Homelessness is an epidemic that impacts every nation and every community. One way to help out is by watching these documentaries about homelessness and how we can tackle this issue. These documentaries will teach you everything you need to know about the reality of homelessness and how we can, as a society, not only help but also change this sad situation.
1. On the Streets - Documentaries on Homelessness
On the Streets is a 12-part video series on homelessness in Los Angeles. Journalist and filmmaker Lisa Biagiotti tackles this complex issue by putting faces to the statistics, starting with The L.A Times' homeless data map. Since October, she has been learning about their varied experiences and will connect their stories to larger issues along her journey as a journalist or documentarian. Along the way, she gains input and insights from Angelenos who live within that community of Los Angeles which is home to approximately half of all Americans without homes.
2. Homeless Teenagers Surviving Chicago Winter - Documentaries about Homelessness
Three homeless teens in Chicago defy stereotypes as they face the pressures of high school and life alone on the streets to build a brighter future. Against all odds, these kids create new definitions of home that turn out surprising-for both them and those who know them best. Can they recover from their traumas while staying true to themselves?
3. Surviving Homelessness - Documentaries about Homelessness
A few weeks ago filmmaker and extreme adventurer Paul Suggitt made himself homeless to film a documentary, where he documented the impact that being on the streets can have on a person. He revealed some interesting stories from people who live on the street about their struggles with turf wars, violence towards other homeless individuals, violence within themselves and others around them; true stories of how they manage to live day-to-day in what is described as "tough" conditions.
4. UK Homeless documentary: Locked out after lockdown? - Homelessness Documentary
Manchester City Mayor, Andy Burnham, has vowed to eradicate homelessness in the city since 2017. But 4 years on with no action taken...
COVID-19 sweeps across the UK and I take to Manchester's streets to see what life is really like for those sleeping rough during an intense pandemic.
5. Evicted: The Hidden Homeless - Homeless Documentaries
In a country where people can potentially own two or three homes, these are the stories of those who don’t have one. Three girls had to endure the emotional trauma of being thrown out of their home and all they had was themselves-no possessions they could keep safe with them. With nowhere to go, each girl is absorbed into the hidden world of bed and breakfasts, hotels, safe houses and temporary accommodation. They get used to living without anything but what they stand in - literally!
Living in overcrowded and cramped conditions often miles away from school and friends is a fate of homeless families, which falls to anonymous council departments. They judge if they deserve help or are willing to be housed. Depending on the circumstances, the Council can remove them without providing any more services beyond 28 days in B&B's as per central government instructions about reducing homelessness reported by charities all over England. Meanwhile children have been mentioned above who face isolation due to bullying, social exclusion and missing months of schooling when there was no home available for them before this happened because nobody had taken notice that their existences were important at all until it vanished quite suddenly with just one click of an "Intentionally Homeless" box filled out for bureaucratic reasons.
Conclusions: Documentaries about Homelessness
Too often, people think of homelessness as a problem that can be solved, while others think it is a natural part of life. Documentaries like the ones discussed in this post help people realize that there is much more to the issue than they previously thought.
Images credits: Unsplash.com