Arusha Action Film: In the Gutter and Other Good Places February 21, 2007

$10 at the door (Calgary Dollars accepted)
children and youth under 14 admitted free

In the Gutter and Other Good Places, shot in Calgary by Writer/Director/Producer Cristine Richey (1993, 56 min), is the powerful account of three Calgary men, Colin, Jean, and Ron who survive by "dumpster-diving" – collecting bottles out of refuse containers for cash. The film is a detailed and compassionate look at the choices and circumstances which have shaped their lives.

Challenging the conventional assumptions many of us may have about street people and how they got there, the film reveals that one of the characters, Ron, has a Masters in engineering science and that he gave up both his family and career at Gulf Oil because of alcoholism. Colin meanwhile, has access to a substantial inheritance and yet refuses to touch it, preferring to live on what he can collect from the dumpsters. Perhaps the film's most laudable feat is the trust with which the stories are told, bringing us closer to those who normally pass unseen.

Although this film is over 10 years old, the issues are still the same and number of homeless in Calgary has increased. We have scheduled a phone link up with The Partnership to End Homelessness in Chicago and NYC Department of Homeless Services to share information about their 10 year plan working with the issues of homelessness.

Co-sponsored by the Calgary Low Income Coalition.

Official Website: http://films.arusha.org/