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.
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