A filmmaker from Victoria, British Columbia paid a visit to Peace River over the weekend.
Krista Loughton was in town at River City Cinema to show her feature film Us & Them on Sunday.
She told the Trending 55 Newsroom that she was pleased that 110 people turned out to watch the movie.
“More people came out here than they did out in Calgary,” said Loughton. “I showed up at River City Cinema, and the lobby was packed full of people to see the film. There were even people coming in from High Level, meaning they’d drove three hours just to come see the film. In fact, some them want to bring this film up to be viewed there as well.”
The people from High Level were from the Aboriginal Interagency Committee.
Deputy Mayor Elaine Manzer was also in attendance from the Town of Peace River. Also from the town was Councillor Johanna Downing, as well as several members from Community Services. Manzer also took part in a panel discussion with audience members after the movie was over.
Loughton, whose coverage of the film spanned a decade, where she befriended four chronically homes people in order to help them heal their lives.
But, she says things don’t quite always work out that way.
“They ended up helping me instead,” said Loughton. “It was interviews, but it was also their life story. The movie humanizes my four friends, and it shows how complicated homelessness and addiction can be. It really digs into the trauma, specifically childhood trauma, and shows how it correlates into battles with addiction. And when poverty is mixed in, how it devolves into homelessness.”
Statistics on homelessness in Peace River were also released at the event yesterday.
“I can’t even imagine how people survive out here in the cold,” Loughton said. “18 people currently sleep outside out here in Peace River. And I just can’t imagine how those guys even make it into the winter.”
Loughton was also planning to sleep in a homeless pod, as provided by the town’s PurpleRung organization. The pod was located between Panago Pizza and Town Hall.
But, as much as she tried, she said that regretfully, she just couldn’t do it.
“Unfortunately, it was just too cold for me to sleep in,” said Loughton. “I wish I would’ve been able to do it, but they builders put a temporary heater in it, but it wasn’t working. I tried to do it, but I couldn’t make it for the whole night. And it’s sad that so many homeless people anywhere who have to live with those conditions, or worse, on a nightly basis. It’s just shocking.”
Loughton is set to meet with officials at the Sagitawa Friendship Centre later to see what they are doing to combat homelessness within the area.
“I do understand that the Friendship Centre does provide shelter for the homeless during the day,” she said. “It would also be interesting if PurpleRung and the town could get together to figure out, even a temporary solution for now, and then come up with something permanent later.”
She’s also set to show her video at the Grande Prairie Live Theatre on Tuesday, November 7, 2017.
– Posted by BET
