Video
shows trials of homeless women
By Sandra Porter
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Cal State Long Beach students gathered on campus Thursday to view a documentary
about homeless women in Los Angeles, sponsored by the Women’s Resource
Center. Corina Gamma, the director of the film, “Ties on a Fence,” was
on hand to discuss it with the audience.
Gamma’s documentary focused on the Downtown Women’s Center, located
on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Several women told their stories about being homeless
and how it affected their day-to-day lives.
“
A lot of people think that homeless people are there by choice.” Gamma
said.
Kito Bridges, Relief Resident Manager for the center explained some of the reasons
for homelessness today. “Poverty, lack of employment, affordable housing,
domestic violence and mental illness.”
She added that a lot of the programs for the homeless have been discontinued
and funding has stopped due to new property developments in downtown Los Angeles.
Linda Gray, featured in the documentary and at the viewing, has been living and
working for the center for more than several years. Gray, from Beverly Hills,
discussed some of the discrimination she faced because she lived on Skid Row.
“
I went to a church for 40 years of my life in Santa Monica. Now, I am not welcome
there because I live here,” Gray said.
Gamma describes her decision to make this documentary as something that needed
to be done. She received hesitant feedback from her colleagues, but she continued
her work.
“
I started filming seven years ago. There were so many women there that were so
giving, but had nothing,” Gamma said.
She said one of the most important things she needed to complete her documentary
was the trust of these women. Gamma set up one-on-one and group interviews to
gather her information and gain trust.
While the downtown area continues to grow with new luxury apartments and commercial
shopping centers, homeless coalitions and advocates continue to face challenges
that prevent them from helping these women.
“
This is the only place that houses women,” Gray said.
Jamie Williams, a psychology and black studies major at the viewing, discussed
how familiar she was with the homeless situation in Los
Angeles.
“
I see this a lot. I’m from Los Angeles and I know all about these things.
I was motivated by the documentary to do something,” Williams said.
Some of the women in the documentary recited poetry. A book containing the poetry
has been published, called “Deep Journeys, Boundless Dreams.”
|
