OUT HERE

OUT HERE is a story of redemption as social worker Mark, who has emerged from his troubled past, works to house his Sacramento neighbors. But, as we see Mark “piecing shit together” to get people off the streets, OUT HERE tells a larger story about how human connection and personal conviction can offer hope when policy and politics fail.

Not long after the opening moments of OUT HERE it is clear that this is not your typical take on the homelessness crisis. Yes, we see shots of those makeshift tarped shelters under highways, beside rivers, and alongside parking lots – images to which many viewers have become desensitized. But soon we hear laughter and overhear a warm conversation as if between old friends. That voice is Mark’s. A former addict and now homeless and outreach coordinator, Mark allows viewers to ride along and experience what he calls “my dream job for right now.” Often with hands stuck deep in his pockets and equipped with his phone and a few business cards, Mark takes us along as he greets dozens of his unhoused neighbors across the city of Sacramento, the capital city of the nation’s wealthiest state. He never loses sight of the person he is talking with, reminding us that “I’m dealing with real people.” Those “real people” include a gifted piano player struggling with addiction and a family of six who earn too much to qualify for federal assistance but too little to move out of their minivan. Mark has a knack for devoting his full attention to each individual and addressing their own personal circumstances. Still, they can’t all be wins as we see Mark trying to talk some juveniles into accepting assistance, difficult to do when he is “enforcing” illegal camping rules.

On the larger issue of homelessness, Mark is clear-eyed and pragmatic. He lists all of those things working against those he is trying to help: drug addiction (he’s been there!), generational poverty, rising rents and housing shortages, and scant money for social services to address mental health and addiction issues. Mark admits that he doesn’t know if homelessness is “solvable” and thinks it may not even be helpful to frame it in that way. He just tries to “figure it out every day,” build rapport, and give them the help that he can. Mark’s hopeful outlook feels refreshing and redeeming amidst on-going policy and political debates about this increasingly intractable issue.

Compelling imagery of Sacramento landmarks and public art immediately draws viewers into the film, keeping them engaged until the final fade away frame. The film’s pacing is steady, underscoring Mark’s patience and perseverance despite the underlying tension implicit in looking at the homelessness issue up close. The film suggests that taking a good, honest and human look at homelessness allows us to better understand the issue, and that doing so may be a necessary part of solving this complex problem.