Taste Your Freedom blog

Behind the scenes administration and shooting for Taste Your Freedom have continued during recent months keeping me more than busy.  Now we return to the streets and begin in the offices of those who help and work in the streets.

The numbers of homeless do not seem to dwindle, to the contrary, they are growing slowly and the brand of homeless people in the downtown area indicates unending hardship; they are street-hardened homeless in the winter, not the “hey it’s cool to revolt and live in the street because it’s really in my parents’ (or councillor, or parlole officer or otherwise) face” but the type of people who are struggling for survival often in the -worst- of conditions.

Atwater Metro Station Montreal - man sleeps on bench.

The subway is a constant refuge for many.  Montreal commuters and the island transit-commission are, for the most part, very tolerant about the homeless need for any shelter they can find such as the subway.  Unfortunately I have witnessed a few abusive situations created or inflamed by the subway police.  This said most of them appear to be indifferent to most situations and deal as professionals with individuals.  I take the latter to mean that they are actually behaving quite humanely - positions of authority require a certain amount of impartiality but often can and do allow for consideration of other factors above and beyond the job.  I can only hope they will continue to act “outside of the rules” and turn a blind-eye where apparently suitable.  Most people sleeping in the subway are doing just that and harming no one.  Yes, they pose a security hazard in the event of evacuation, but Montrealers being the way they are someone would stop to wake and alert them to the danger - I hope.

Some of the hashest footage will soon be shot as well as some of the most beautiful.  Spring indicates new beginnings and new frontiers.  With this in mind Taste Your Freedom moves toward completion and I will be shooting the intro to the film over the next few weeks.  Watch for our remote crew.  Identify us and be one of the first to wear a TasteYourFreedomTheFilm.com bracelet.

CKUT - Radio McGill - Homelessness marathon 2009

Each Winter the cold beckons to the students and organisers of CKUT’s yearly Homelessness Marathon, 14 hours of live community-radio broadcast from the streets of Montreal and across Canada on over 40 stations, to educate the masses about the specific issues surrounding the homelessness crisis.  In collaboration with the Montreal Native Friendship Center and numerous other active organizations the broadcast is one of the most informative and well organized resources on the subjects of homelessness and the many related health, housing, nutrition, and other issues.  Taste Your Freedom went remote to cover this aspect of Montreal street-life again this year.

A Taste Your Freedom Blog first here is a clip of the CKUT 7th annual Homlessness Marathon.

CKUT-Homeless-2009-v5-15f.wmv

Artists of all sorts are joining the movement to fight homelessness and associated problems.

Last weekend Taste Your Freedom was at Bar St-Laurent to cover the first Quebec “Blankfest” organized by John Asher of NDG Entertainment and supported by (in addition to Bar St-Laurent) CKRK Mohawk Radio, the only commerical radio-station in the Montreal region supporting independant music and artists.  Sizzling performances were dished-up by Fifty Stars Anger, Ashtray, Special Ops, and Vinyl Hero who all took it to the full house in a big way.  The goal of 100 blankets was far surpassed; only 50 blankets were collected but there were some 300 items in all going to benefit the Old Brewery Mission.  Thanks to John and a particular “Hey!” to Philip who I know will be hearing more about Taste Your Freedom in the near future.

Ashtray at Blankfest

Taste Your Freedom went remote this week on the location of CKUT’s (Radio McGill) 7th annual Homeless Marathon, a radio-event broadcast simultaneously on over 40 community radio stations in Canada, an event which commands a much higher profile in the United States where the marathon has been a regular event for 12 years now.  For 14 hours over-night, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM, stations broadcast interviews outside in the cold with the aim of sensitizing the community to the plight of the homeless in particular, but also to the issues surrounding our tough times which often drive people to the street.  This event is one of the most shining examples of what broadcast and media really can do.  If only there were more promotional opportunities for the event - there is no interest on the part of the mainstream media in these yearly happenings.

CKUT Homeless Marathon 2009

Taste Your Freedom has been covering the Homeless Marathon for 3 years now and I personally discovered the marathon 7 years ago.  The film will inlcude coverage from a number of years’ marathons.  Something special is in the works for the next blog.

Yet another week clocks by, a week filled with organizational tasks, upgrades to the site and blog, and a few surprizes.  An incredible amount of background material is filling my studio to the brim and I now need to finish organizing it all so the shooting for Taste Your Freedom can move up to a frenzied pace.  A bit of rest for the weary and bleary-eyed, then we rev it up.

Recently I’ve been taking advantage of my other business activities to promote Taste Your Freedom in a discreet fashion and the initial response I am receiving is positive so I invite all readers to comment on anything they see here.  Hopefully your oberservations will be equally positive although I also welcome good, constructive criticism.  We’re all interested in helping.  if you have questions this is also a good place to get them out into the open.

My travels never fail to turn-up the signs of need and the deepening and desperate homelessness situation.  The numbers of people seeking help, shelter, and any form of salvation possible are most obviously increasing.  See for yourself the right-in-front-of-our-faces places that people have resorted to for shelter and respite from the cruel winter cold and the elements.

Sleeping in Metro

The next stage of shooting Taste Your Freedom  will involve a few weeks of furious shooting and so I’ll have the main camera serviced (a small problem cropped-up this weekend during a shoot with a Cordon-Bleu chef - Thanks again Tony and Noah for your patience!).  My “rig” or “kit” (if you prefer) is down to the smallest portable-size I can manage and calories burned per-shoot will now be maximized.

Next Monday, February 23, Taste Your Freedom  will be on location, for the third year, at CKUT’s (7th) annual Homelessness Marathon which can be heard throughout Canada an in Montreal at 90.3 FM.  For your local frequency and more information I invite you to visit the marathon site at CKUT here.  These volunteer students, in collaboration with the Montreal Native Friendship Center and many other organisations and individuals (mostly volunteer-run) really knock themselves out - sunset to sunrise out in the elements on the corner of DeMaisonneuve and St-Laurent (St-Lawrence) - please show your support in any way you can even if it’s just to listen in or call the live phone-in which begins at midnight.  The marathon is an education in itself about homelessness and everyone out there trying to help.  Here’s a shot from a recent marathon.

CKUT Homelessness Marathon 2006

Loads of content to come in a big rush … likened to a journey to the Heart of Darkness some might say.  It is not all dark, though, as the hope and toil of many wishing to make a positive change make their mark.

Join Taste Your Freedom in making a difference for the better.

Pianoman

Ramon of the Open Door Mission where we conducted the interview in a beautiful, very old, Westmount church right on the edge of dowtown and at the core of the homeless situation.  The mission has been helping the homeless and needy (in so many ways) since 1988 when a parishioner recognized the need to help both homeless/transient people and those living in the neighborhood who were also in need.

Open Door Mission

The day started with a shoot at Philips Square facing The Bay which happens to be a former symbol of Canadian success; The Bay is now owned mainly by an American conglomerate.  Among the many organisations which marched from Philips Square to Parc Emelie Gamelin (Berri) today were le Réseau SOLIDARITÉ Itinérance Québec, le FRAPRU, l’A.D.D.I.C.Q., et les Coalitions Solidarité Santé contre la précarité, and a number of private concerns.

ADDICQ

 There was an impressive turnout of a couple hundred marchers who drew quite a bit of attention from the pre-lunch-hour crowd along Saint Catherine St. & Rene Levesque Blvd..

Demonstration begins

The demonstration finished at the Etat d’Urgence encamplment set up at Berri Square where I shot quite a bit of footage of the many interesting events at the encampment.  I dropped in to see the Homeless Nation crew and had a brief chat with Anya who was, as usul, busy making things happen.

Etat d

The day’s shooting ended with coverage of the  CHOM-FM and CJAD-AM annual Christmas fundraiser for Sun Youth social services agency.  I had a good chat with Pete Marrier (seems we both have a penchant for the old EXPO site).  I also want to thank Bianca for her kind reception and interest in the film.

Fund raiser

The need for help is so great it is overwhelming.  Thanks to the many people who organised today’s events hope reamains in sight although the battles are becoming harder.

STELLA filmed at Montreal's Palais de justice - Taste Your Freedom the film

Preparations to release the film’s web site continued as well today and I am pushing hard to have the site ready ASAP.

Today also marks the intialization of the Taste Your Freedom’s production blog which will be come public in only  a few days.

Welcome to all documentary film afficianados and concerned citizens.

See their world, hear their stories, then Taste Your Freedom