The Advocates

This distressing documentary makes a strong case that a perfect storm of economic, social, and policy failures has led to our current crisis with homelessness in the U.S. But as the film’s title suggests, The Advocates is also about some of the people—specifically in Los Angeles—working in the trenches to address the myriad problems connected to folks living on the streets. Filmmaker Rémi Kessler sorts out different eras of homelessness in urban America, including the Great Depression, which saw the loss of manufacturing jobs and subsequent plans by city leaders to box the homeless in Skid Row-like neighborhoods. Today, the homeless spill out onto L.A. streets everywhere, with a large percentage mentally ill and "protected" by civil liberties that prevent mandatory treatment. Other segments of the population are past or present drug users who have lost everything, while still others simply lost their jobs or available resources. The film follows the daily responsibilities of a social worker (a former addict and homeless mother) and a housing coordinator, who are trying to get their homeless clients into apartments, arrange for medical treatment, and fix other unexpected problems. Kessler does a terrific job of telling these personal stories, such as one of a man named Rudy, who keeps all of his possessions in seven different dead or almost dead cars, and has to push each one every day to a new parking space. Extras include additional scenes and a photo gallery. Presenting an eye-opening look at a growing crisis, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)