The plight of homelessness is especially prevalent in the city of Los Angeles. “On the Street” puts the camera at the heart of the pandemic, talking to those struggling to survive without adequate shelter, and examining the larger issues that have wreaked havoc on their way of life.
Filmmaker Lisa Biagiotti used the Los Angeles Times’ detailed map of homelessness to scour every corner of the city in search of personal stories.
In the ghetto, she meets a college graduate and his pregnant companion. They live in tents and bathe with water jugs bought from nearby shops. For them, homelessness is a state of mind. They seem content to call all of downtown Los Angeles home while they wait for an opportunity to provide them with more desirable living conditions.
The number of people living in cars has doubled in the past two years. In Venice Beach, one of these car dwellers considers the unreasonably high cost of big city living. He parked his RV on the side of the road and got to work saving every penny he could. He believes that one day he will soon be able to buy his own house or apartment.
Many others struggle to find a silver lining in the harsh realities of everyday life. The film travels to a series of camps and refuges where hope is hard to find. These Angelinos live under the constant threat of violent crime, early death, drug addiction and incarceration.
The film also reveals those who worked tirelessly to support and help the disenfranchised. A community lawyer was running around town delivering blankets to those in need. An 18-year veteran of the LAPD patrols the streets, greeting every homeless citizen he passes. He considers it a sacred duty to protect the most vulnerable among them, but this instinct often runs counter to his vows to the community as a whole.
Harrowing, eye-opening and deeply compassionate, On the Street offers a poignant and intimate portrait of homeless life in City of Dreams.
Directed by: Lisa Biagiotti
