Adding to the numerous documentaries that have been made about the homeless, The Winds of Downhill is a short film that centers on seven interesting individuals who viewers get to know a bit before learning that they actually have no roofs over their heads. The first interviewee begins by talking in detail about market forces that can make a day trader rich; one assumes that he's a young, wealthy guy who made a fortune by paying attention. But he's on the street, and his banter about economic "corrections" ends up coming across, perhaps unintentionally, as a metaphor for the vicissitudes of life. Another grizzled man discusses classic New York City architecture versus the soullessness of today's pop-up skyscrapers. While these interviews are going on, filmmakers Jedd and Todd Wider surround the subjects with gorgeous black-and-white images of Manhattan scenes that feel like echoes from a distant dream. Offering a poignant personal look at a perennial social issue, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
The Winds of Downhill
(2017) 21 min. DVD: $99 ($199 w/PPR). DRA. Juno Films. Volume 33, Issue 2
The Winds of Downhill
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