CMF 08 - Collision of Two Worlds: Homelessness in Palo Alto

In making this documentary I initially sought to juxtapose the two extremes of wealth and poverty--Palo Alto being the ideal location for portraying such an examples. The town also therefore becomes a microcosm for the macrocosmic gap becoming further evident in the U.S. and a number of other developed nations. Though such a theme is very much present throughout the film I eventually focused on the disconnect and barrier that often exists between homeless individuals and most of the public. At the beginning, we see a sped-up sequence of University Ave. in Palo Alto, where all shots were filmed and where most homeless populations of Palo Alto reside. With this sped up sequence, I tried to portray the motif of the transience of time and leitmotif of night...both common in the lives of homeless individuals. In the series of interviews, I interviewed 4 homeless individuals--the last one ( Tom) was the only one who was not featured for privacy reasons. When interviewing the people, I sought to place them in a somewhat story-teller role, as they often view themselves. From my experiences working with homeless individuals, it always appears that stories and the past form an important part of their relationship with others. Of course, many do not have the chance to speak with very many people and are always eager for social interaction beyond their circles. James: To the audience, James appears as the most saddening individual interviewed. He is the "picture-boy" ( so to speak) for homelessness in America...a sensitive composure, clear awareness of the situation that brought him to homelessness, and goals for a future that he knows he has the ability to attain. James is separated from the others and chooses to reside mostly in front of 7-11, rather than University Blvd. Anna-May: Anna May provides an interesting case as well: she clearly considers herself homeless yet lives in subsidized housing at the Opportunity center. As we were filming, Anna-May also eventually revealed that she even pays for cable and phone service at the opportunity center. Such begs the question: Who is considered homeless? Also, are there various levels of homelessness? Before filming, Anna-May also requested that we not film her sign and basket full of coins revealing a stigma or slight embarrassment she may feel with pan-handling. Yet ironically, she speaks freely of her situations and those around her. Anna-May also finally comes to portray one of the underlying themes emphasized in the documentary: the disconnect and separated micro community that homeless populations are in the U.S. For instance, she notes that she does have "homeless friends" but expresses shock at the other unidentified homeless woman who has...shockingly...a shopping cart. Such seems to surprise Anna-May, again revealing a disconnect not only with other communities, but within homeless communities. This may also point to the fact that there may exist different social "classes" of homelessness, with Anna-May belonging to an upper and more fortunate level. Anna-May also references more important points as the responsibilities of " going in" and the mental illnesses associated with a number of homeless individuals. Denny: Denny, if anything, represented the most disconnect. When interviewing him, he felt pressured to speak on topics that he thought I would enjoy listening to ( the golf course,Stanford, etc.) and topics he often didn't even know anything about ( in cut footage: power plants, aerospace engineering, etc). Denny was very eloquent nonetheless, but the barrier and disconnect between our two worlds/communities was very much present and obvious. The final walking scene was filmed by Tom who declined to be interviewed. Instead, I offered him the camera to film--as a means to go through his lens and behind his own perspective as a metaphorical "resolve" to the original problem of disconnect and barriers.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• campus
• movie
• fest
• campusmoviefest
• elfenworks
• poverty