Humanizing Homelessness in "Out Here": An Interview with Producer Leslie Silver, PhD
Leslie Silver, PhD is the producer of OUT HERE. Read more about them here.
Why did you make this film?
After working as a mental health clinician helping the unhoused in San Francisco in the 1980s, two things became clear to me: 1. The public does not understand the stories of the people living in homelessness. 2. The services in place to help the unhoused are grossly insufficient. I believed then, and I believe now, that if people know the stories that bring people into homelessness, they will view the unhoused as more relatable to them. I thought the best way to bring the stories of the unhoused to the public was through film. I wanted to make a film that puts a human face on the homelessness issue. I wanted to make a film about homelessness – a topic that most people tend to turn away from – to not only be informative, but also beautiful and entertaining. I believe the OUT HERE team has done that in the making of this film.
What do you hope educators, students, and community members will learn from your film?
I think there is value in seeing an intimate portrait of the homelessness situation. My hope is that OUT HERE will create feelings of empathy and an understanding that the reasons that bring people into homelessness can be varied and complex. I believe OUT HERE shows an example of compassionate collaboration between law enforcement and social services -- a model that needs to be seen and replicated in many communities across the country. I hope that people leave viewing OUT HERE with compassion for the unhoused and motivation to think about what can be done in their own communities to help the issue of homelessness.
Tell us about how audiences have been responding to your film.
The response to OUT HERE has been overwhelmingly positive from all types of people on both sides of the political spectrum. I have had some people tell me that the film is too depressing, and that it was hard to look at the issue of homelessness. I say to those people that looking at the homelessness issue, even if it’s hard, is exactly what we need to do. Walking and driving by the homelessness issue is easy in the short-term, but it keeps us disconnected from addressing the issues that contribute to real suffering in our communities. We must look at the homelessness issue to better understand the problem, so that we can address it effectively, with compassion. I have had other people tell me that OUT HERE filled them with hope, seeing the success stories of people getting off the streets into permanent housing.
Whose perspectives does your film feature?
OUT HERE is told through the perspective of a social worker named Mark. The film follows Mark as he works with one unhoused individual at a time and attempts to provide housing solutions and stability. Mark doesn’t claim to know how to eradicate homelessness, nor does he strive for political clout or public recognition. OUT HERE does not attempt to provide solutions to the homelessness problem; it just shows the issue truthfully so that viewers can come to their own conclusions.
Tell us about your background and why this issue matters to you.
I am a clinical psychologist and was a social worker before becoming a psychologist. I have worked beside many social services and mental health workers who work tirelessly with little recognition to help those in the most need among us. I have seen the homelessness issue up close. It’s hard to forget the stories of the people experiencing homelessness once you know them. OUT HERE is my effort to not forget the stories and to celebrate the work of social service and mental health workers on the front lines serving the homeless. I hope that we can learn from, and be inspired by, the stories in OUT HERE so that we can try to do better to help others.
What impact has this film had on your life?
The making of OUT HERE allowed me to meet so many inspiring, selfless and hard-working professionals serving the unhoused population. I was reminded of time and time again that good people do good things. Additionally, I learned I could do hard things. I had never made a film before OUT HERE. It was a learning process from start to finish, but I surrounded myself with the best filmmakers and people in the film business at MadPix Films. Lastly, I made a promise to myself not to forget the stories of the people I met experiencing homelessness, and to share the stories so that we can try to learn how to serve the unhoused better. I hope I did that with OUT HERE.
Why use film to help address these topics?
Whether it’s a friend, family member, or neighbor that has experienced homelessness, or people we see living unhoused in our communities, homelessness is an issue that impacts all of us. Everyone knows homelessness is prevalent, but most of us don’t know what to do to help the issue. Film is the best way to get the stories of the homeless to a broad and diverse group of people. By looking at the problem, we can start to discuss what we can do to help it. The OUT HERE team hopes that our film will serve as a call to action – to do more in our own communities and to lean on our elected officials to address the issue of homelessness. Come join our call to action at www.outherefilm.com.
Bring the documentary OUT HERE and Leslie Silver to your campus or community.
