Streets of Plenty
An unprecedented look into the underworld of Vancouver's downtown east-side ghetto. This 65 minute documentary follows one man's 30 day experiment of joining the thousands of homeless, ill, and addicted, who survive the streets of Vancouver's cold, wet December.
He starts off with nothing but a pair of underwear. Where he ends up is a place he never knew existed, even though its a place he passed by every day.
He has no money, no friends, no family, and most importantly, no home. He must navigate the institutions, policies and services alongside the thousands of people that call Vancouver's streets home.
This is the perfect film for anyone who wants to see first hand what life is like on Vancouver's streets, but doesn't want to risk murder from gang violence, contracting a fatal or chronic disease, or a life-long addiction to crack or heroin. Official Selection 2009 Queens International Film Festival and Official Selection 2010 Oxford FIlm Festival.
The guy was a tool, but I'm still glad to have seen the DTES in a realer way than the news I've been fed my whole life as a native Vancouverite. Very interesting characters, shows how that lifestyle breaks the spirit of those already weak from a life of disappointments, tragedy. When you don't have clean clothes, a shower, are unrested, without home- meaning no bank, no credit, near impossible to save money and find proper housing in a city already inflated. Is it possible to find a job in these conditions for even the most willed of citizens, let alone those so unfortunate to end up in this place? The problem is so multifaceted, there is no 'fixing the DTES' without making change to society as we know it. They are the worst case scenario in a man-made game, not less deserving of a comfortable, fulfilling life.
I didn’t care for him as a person but I became very afraid for him when his arrogance duped him into flippantly engaging a monster far far greater than he has ever experienced. Unbelievable.
I finished watching this movie an hour ago and I have been shaking with rage ever since. This is not a documentary. This is a man with too much money and not enough brains, stroking his ego well he tries to look like the good guy by making light of a serious social issue.
But I suppose you could feel sympathetic for the guy when he was so sad about falling his self-indulgent experiment and goes back to his million-dollar Vancouver condo to come down off of the heroin he voluntarily took because he was trying to "fit in." Watching him vomit and sh*t himself was the only satisfying part of the whole movie.
Misha Kleider is the Tommy Wiseau of documentaries. It is actually serves as an excellent example of bad documentary making.
This should be a study piece on how NOT to make a documentary.
The subject was supposed to the homelessness issue in Vancouver but instead turned into some FRAT Party piece. The video itself reminded me of when someone first got a video camera and tried to make something profound by using the fade function. The lack of ability to listen and actually engage with those people suffering with addiction was possibly the most upsetting part of it. It reminded me of some college jocks giving rides to homeless people and then filming them but talking over them constantly. Seriously this documentary is so bad I am amazed Amazon show it.
No pity, I know first hand have a son that is an addict and 30. I can not save him and he refuses to save himself. So there, unless you live it you have no right to comment.
It seems that most of commenters here haven't seen the movie all the way through or the maybe they are Vancouver locals with political agendas. It was a good documentary.
This guy is so out of touch. What an idiot.. homeless people scamming the system. Maybe he should have developed a crack addiction. He's lucky he does not suffer from an illness.
Someone's gunna kick the everliving sh*t outta you buddy been there got out. Where all just passing through.
Completely offensive. Privilege at its finest, presenting what it means to be homeless from its own point of view. Misha Kleider is a disgusting, disrespectful POS.
I watched the wholed damn thing as a part of a class project. Misha had a horrible attitude towards homeless people from the outset, and although his attitude changed slightly as the film progressed, this was not a true depiction of homelessness.
He mad a poor choice in trying crack and heroin, then actually thought that since he tried drugs, he now understood homelessness.
Wrong! He tried each of them once, never got addicted to anything, then quit the "project" five days early. What a joke. The actual homeless people, whom he holds in such low regard, don't have the option. They can't just up and say "I've had enough; take me home to daddy's mansion."
I have to agree with the following two comments;
Tom
The host is a fruity, smirking twit out having a joke at the expense of the homeless and the taxpayer. If he should really become homeless, he wouldn't last long. Thumbs down.
Fluff
Sad excuse for a video that had the potential to be informative and engaging.
This is honestly the worst "documentary" I have ever seen.
I personally thought this documentary was really really good. It was creative and metaphorical in the fact in the beginning he represents us....people who have shelter, food, jobs we take for granted and not really seeing the homeless. As his experiences evolve from kinda easy going homelessness to the hard core reality of the homeless he can totally relate to the hardship and suffering. He learns ADDICTION is a parasite to its host taking people down so low they exist in a sub culture where they are sadly dependent physically to their drug. Addiction is a disease and until we treat it as such NO shelter or food kitchens can stop it. They need a St. Jude 's for addiction to help eradicate it just like St. Jude has done with many childhood cancers. These poor people need serious help. Thank you for this very well done documentary.
He wouldn't have gotten much in Texas especially being an adult male.
There is no wealth fare for adult men in Texas; period.
I thought he was an ass at first, but as the doco went on, you could see the change. Anyone willing to go 30 days on the cold streets, and try 2 heavy drugs for the first time,...for a doco, has got some balls...well done overall. PS....Lived practically all my life in Australia, but was born in Vancouver, ...so i wanted to see what the underbelly was like over there. Hang with similar ppl here in Australia. .....same all over........i myself have been addicted to weed and alcohol since i was 18......iam now 47...so i have some understanding of the situation. .....best to everyone....PEACE✌
The worst PLASTIC FRUIT SALAD I've ever made myself watch.
ZERO F*KING CONTENT! TRASH IT!!!!!!
I cannot believe the critics of this documentary . At least this guy Brough some of you arm chair commentators into a world they see but don't know . Well done for putting yourself through this
why did everyone hate on this guy?
it was one of the most profound documantaries i ever saw on homeless - i studied law in college and i have a lot of work done on human rights and the extent to which these rights can be applied - and this documentary was amazing
yes he was funny in the beginning because he was showing the real life live experience - initially he was healthy and positive but if you didnt have ADHD you would have watched right down to the end of the documntary when he went on crack and heroin to show the sincerity of this documentary - amazing doc well done
What a narcissistic, arrogant, PoS. Rich kid making a joke out of homelessness. Was this his immature freshman sociology project in his expensive private university?
Having once been strung out on heroin (only did it once.... And ended up chasing that first hit for years, like this rich kid likely will)... And homeless myself. I know what it's like, a 30 day self-aggrandizing fool making a "documentary" doesn't know s*it.
Total a*"hole misrepresenting and exploiting people who've fallen through the cracks and the systems to catch them. Just for his own 15 minutes of fame. Obviously no compassion and just showing off for friends. He's only hurt the homeless.
I'm a licensed working professional who helps the homeless on a daily basis. Making six figures, starting a family. And trying to help those who TRULY NEED HELP. Not jerks like this exploitative jerk.
This is brilliant!
I am from Vancouver and ended up living on East Hastings Street for months when I was 17. I was an amateur boxer at the Astoria Boxing Gym and worked at Labor Ready. I lived among the addicts, homeless, and prostitutes. One thing that I would have liked to have seen this documentary touch on more is the human kindness that can be experience among the most down and out people on the downtown east side. When I was a kid living in that area, no one tried to sell me drugs and I would get stopped regularly by the most disgusting looking addicts and lectured about how I should "not be down here" and about why I was not in school. Even through the cloud of addiction and homelessness, basic human kindness and decency still shines through.
Very nice film!
This was so offensive and ignorant. He jumps into a dumpster to "get dirty" What an idiot, that blood on his finger may as well of been from a dirty needle, maybe he will contract HIV and his next documentary can be about that. It's easy to get on welfare? are you kidding me?! Yeah you faked a mental health condition but did you know that a large percentage of homeless people in Canada actually do suffer from mental illness, and it can be completely horrible, long, drawn out process for someone who is ill. Have you ever sat down with someone who has a mental illness or is drug dependent and assisted them with this form? for most people, it is not a fun "easy" process. I couldn't even get past 10 minutes of this junk I was so offended. He makes a complete joke of the homeless problem not only Vancouver but all of Canada is struggling with. Does he understand that addiction often stems from trauma? I would love to see what kind of trauma this privileged white male has experienced in his life time. Making a joke of these issue's only perpetuates the cycle of stigma and discrimination, which in turn keeps public policy focused on criminalization and ignorance instead of on harm reduction, education, and proper resources. I can say all the things I want to about how negatively I feel about this guy and his documentary but that will not do anything. There is a bigger problem at hand and a lot of people are dying from overdose, HIV, Hep c, and so on. We need to come together as communities and do what we can to see these "addicts" and "homeless" not as problems too big to handle or that we need to hide or move out of our cities but as people who have suffered real trauma in their lives, an now more then ever, need support. Harm reduction is where its at, I encourage everyone to learn more, and get involved. Volunteer, meet some of these people and realize they are daughters, brothers, sisters, moms, and dads too, and they deserve the right social services without judgement that we give to people suffering from schizophrenia, depression, cancer, or alzheimer's . Or even just say hi to that homeless guy you pass everyday, he just like you has a story and you'll be amazed at how much you have in common. VANDU, the NAOMI project, there is lots of cool **** happening out there with people who actually care, are passionate and innovative and there is positivity on the horizon. The war on drugs is out, we need change.
This is the most ridiculous piece of ****. The subject matter is treated as a complete joke and there is a total lack of seriousness towards the subject matter by everyone involved in the making of this "documentary" - it's insulting. Misha Kleider barely even gets involved in the actual lifestyle - sleeps in a shelter the majority of the experiment, gets free clothing free meals free transportation and is never in any real life-threatening danger at any point (even when he's sleeping alone on the street, his persons and his unattended backpack are undisturbed/unharmed) - he makes light and makes jokes about drug addiction and homelessness, and then runs home to his nice downtown apartment after his ridiculous idea to supposedly try hard drugs backfires. The immature ***holes that made this piece of absolute **** should be incredibly ashamed.
what the **** is this! He completely missed the point. Often shelters like the one he stayed in are full as they have a lack of funding and beds, also the clothes he chose aren't warm or hard-wearing so of course he looked smart. He had no sympathy, hated this.
Very god but what are you doing now that you know what are you doing to better it or to help the homeless or did you go back to your nice home And just forget what you saw and what you now know?
This is the equivalent of rolling around the streets in a wheelchair with fully functioning legs.