Thy Neighbor
Sonoma County is proud of its moniker, "Sonoma Strong," in response to its legacy of coming together in the face of natural disasters, but what happens when the county emergency is one of the largest homeless encampments in Northern California? A portrait of a community divided, Thy Neighbor is an eyewitness account of the tensions that arise, actions taken, and the consequences that follow; exploring the critical question, what is our responsibility as individuals and as a society, to care for the
most vulnerable among us?
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Eliza HemenwayDirectorThe Way to Hawassa
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Becky Lee HellwigProducer#Kidsontech, Open Doors, Hayden & Her Family
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:1 minute 15 seconds
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Production Budget:35,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States, United States
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Country of Filming:United States, United States
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Language:English
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
ELIZA HEMENWAY, has a passion for creative nonfiction storytelling through photography, writing, and documentary film production. With over two decades of experience, her commitment to inspiring hope and driving positive social change is evident in her documentary film work, where she has created powerful narratives that have resonated with audiences around the world. Her work has been showcased in international film festivals and arts venues such as EuroDoc International Lab for Creative Documentary Production, American Documentary & Animation Film Festival, Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival, San Francisco’s Frozen Film Festival, the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Jamaica Plain Arts Center, the Roxie Film Center, among many others.
Hemenway has also worked creating multimedia content for nonprofit organizations such as Breadcoin, the Redwood Empire Food Bank, The Salvation Army National Headquarters. She is currently living in Washington D.C., and serving on the selection committee for DC/DOX.
Driving alongside the Joe Rodota trail, I was struck by the sheer magnitude of the homeless encampment that had formed, seemingly overnight. It was a cold and rainy winter and Christmas was fast approaching. Miles of tents lined a main thoroughfare in my community of Santa Rosa, CA. Feeling compelled to act but unsure how, I attended a community volunteer meeting where people came together, each offering their unique gifts and resources to help our unsheltered neighbors in need. Earlier that day, I had passed a street musician playing the song, The Little Drummer Boy, “Just me and my drum, pa rum pum pum pum,” the song was stuck in my head. As I sat in the meeting, listening to the community create a tapestry of collective care, I considered what I had to offer. Changing the lyrics in my mind, I thought, “I am a poor girl too … I have no gifts to bring, pa rum pum pum pum.” Then it struck me, “just me and my … camera.” I had a gift to bring. As a seasoned documentary filmmaker, I could bring my camera to the trail and bear witness. I began to film as the encampment continued to grow, and as the community response became more urgent. Some neighbors brought food, clothes, warm bedding, and compassion to people living on the trail. Other neighbors lashed out in fear, anger, and frustration over the rampant drug use, crime, mental illness, and squalor that accompanied the encampment. Tensions rose. The
community was in crisis, and there was no looking away. What had been hidden was now visible and we were all forced to respond. Politicians, stuck between compassionate solutions, government bureaucracy, and angry constituents, sought to remedy the situation, but it all proved to be elusive. In the end, the trail was swept, people scattered, and smaller encampments formed to be swept again, and again. It was a vicious and brutal cycle, and Thy Neighbor documents it all.