Subtext "Real Stories" May 27th 7:00pm at the ROM

Linking to the Housepaint exhibit's meditations on poverty in Toronto, join us for the premiere screening of the final cut of Subtext. This film starts with an exploration of the demise of Toronto's Tent City and follows some of the ex-residents on their journey through mainstream housing and personal change.”   The screening will be followed by a Q & A with filmmaker Eric Weissman, who will be joined by friends from the poverty-activism community, as well as two former residents of Tent City.

Panelists include:
Eric Weissman (Filmmaker)
Beric German (Toronto Disaster Relief Committee)
Penny Marrotte (Former resident of Tent City)
Terry Potts (Former resident of Tent City)
Rima Zavys (Homelessness & Housing Services for Woodgreen Community Services)

In the words of the Filmmaker:
"Subtext is an experimental long-term ethno-videography using digital visual media to study homelessness and housing. This piece starts with an exploration of the demise of Toronto's Tent City and follows some of the ex-residents on their journey through mainstream housing and personal change.This is not an agenda-laden piece. It is graphic. The points of view are those of the participants. Subtext examines community building, mental health and addiction issues and the potential for positive change amongst the urban homeless.In a broad sense, Subtext explores digital media as a methodology for "participant observation" in long-term social field research. At a more tangible level, Subtext offers insight to the challenges and realities of getting a specific marginalized group of people off the streets and into housing."

Biography of the Filmmaker:

Eric Weissman received a Masters degree in Sociology from the University of Toronto. He took a leave of absence from Doctoral research in 1991 and in the interim has worked in multi-media as an artist, designer, consultant and researcher.  Over the last 9 years, he has spent most of his research and videography focus on Toronto's Tent City and the interplay of various issues affecting the adaptation of long term homeless persons into mainstream housing.

For more information:
Join the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=90711836225 
or visit: http://www.rom.on.ca/programs/lectures/index.php?cat_id=1&ref=showinfo&prev_ref=searchresult&program_id=4032