Having watched this 2 years after it's release, I'm deeply saddened that the issues addressed in Lead Me Home have lacked the dramatic change required.
The documentary moves from poignancy to perturbation conveying a slow anxious feeling, which is remarkably lifelike. The experiences of the people involved are well-considered and become central to the flow. This documentary should be commended for its delicate touch & empathy in this regard.
It's greatest strength also holds it back, at times it fails to address issues directly. California experienced higher increase in homelessness than any other state in the 21st century. It even had a 31% rise from 2010-2020 whilst the national homelessness dropped by 18%. Any governmental characters in this film speak only in platitudes of change. A lack of overarching analysis holds this back from representing the true scale of the issues, particularly on the west coast.
Humanising the characters who bare the brunt of late stage capitalism is a necessary function, but a nuanced approach here could have reenforced rather than detracted.
Overall this documentary is worth watching for it's emotional sensibilities & empathic approach to homelessness. However, the issues of NIMBYism, abuse & scale weren't direct enough in this documentary. It's worth watching as a fly-on-the-wall documentary that opens a dialogue about the extremely difficult and horrifying conditions of homelessness.
The documentary moves from poignancy to perturbation conveying a slow anxious feeling, which is remarkably lifelike. The experiences of the people involved are well-considered and become central to the flow. This documentary should be commended for its delicate touch & empathy in this regard.
It's greatest strength also holds it back, at times it fails to address issues directly. California experienced higher increase in homelessness than any other state in the 21st century. It even had a 31% rise from 2010-2020 whilst the national homelessness dropped by 18%. Any governmental characters in this film speak only in platitudes of change. A lack of overarching analysis holds this back from representing the true scale of the issues, particularly on the west coast.
Humanising the characters who bare the brunt of late stage capitalism is a necessary function, but a nuanced approach here could have reenforced rather than detracted.
Overall this documentary is worth watching for it's emotional sensibilities & empathic approach to homelessness. However, the issues of NIMBYism, abuse & scale weren't direct enough in this documentary. It's worth watching as a fly-on-the-wall documentary that opens a dialogue about the extremely difficult and horrifying conditions of homelessness.