Lethbridge documentary to screen at national conference on ending homelessness in Canada

Lethbridge filmmaker Dan Berdusco’s documentary “Where is Home?” is set to screen on the national stage. It’s a labour of love that he thought would be a relatively quick project.

“The intention was just to do a small film based on seeing what we could find out about the perspectives of the homeless population in Lethbridge,” Berdusco said.

What started as a two-day film session, quickly turned into a nearly two-year project that included between 60 and 80 hours of raw footage. His thorough 70-minute film gives the perspective and challenges the homeless population faces, along with a historical look into the issue in southern Alberta.

“In our area in specific, the impact that the residential school system had on the First Nations people here and the relationship that it has to homelessness and addiction,” Berdusco said.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Berdusco finished his film in 2015, and since then it’s taken off. He’s now contacted multiple times a week by organizations all over the world, to screen his film. His next stop is London, Ont. for the 2016 Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Conference.

“It’s a very engaged audience, and a really important audience of people to see a film like this from our community, to have our perspective told to the rest of the country,” Berdusco said.

The film has been seen by a number of people in the community that work to get the city’s homeless population off the streets.

“I think that movie is a very compelling movie,” Diane Randell, manager of community and social development for the City of Lethbridge, said. “It really reflects the current condition of people that are faced with many challenges and barriers in our community.”

Randell’s and others’ efforts to eradicate homelessness in the city has been impressive. From 2008 to 2014 street homelessness in Lethbridge has decreased by 87 per cent. Randell believes it’s only a matter of time before everyone has a home.

“Our goal is to prevent and end homelessness,” Randell said. “We’re getting closer and closer, with the right kinds of supports and more importantly, the right kinds of housing.”

For Berdusco, he hopes his film can provide insight into the homeless world.

“I really wanted to make sure that I helped tell it right and give people the proper perspective,” Berdusco said. “Giving people access to stories that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to hear.”