Vancouver: No Fixed Address, directed by Charles Wilkinson, is a powerful film that shines a light on Vancouver's housing market, where prices keep escalating and have reached astronomical prices.
It is a film that examines the growing gap between the wealthy buyers of Vancouver's real estate and those priced out of the market, and how skyrocketing prices are adversely impacting the young, the old, families, First Nations people, and the homeless. But, for those who own property and want to sell, well, they have hit the jackpot. Wilkinson, much to his credit, presents a multiplicity of viewpoints and takes on Vancouver's real estate market, the fall out and outrage it has sparked. Many experts weigh in including the celebrated Canadian scientist, Dr. David Suzuki, Gregor Robertson, the Mayor of Vancouver, and Sandy Garossino, a former Crown prosecutor, to name a few.
Wilkinson weaves together many visual elements to create a fascinating and insightful film where wealth meets misery set against the natural and man-made beauty of the city. Some of the most powerful images in the documentary are images of Vancouver's homeless and homeless encampments. And some of the most breathtaking are the aerial shots of Vancouver's skyline and natural beauty. Who wouldn't want to call Vancouver home?
The film is a well-crafted, well written and exquisitely shot. It is about a pressing social issue, affordable housing and the lack thereof in one of the world's most expensive cities. If you want to understand what's going on with Vancouver's housing market, than Vancouver: No Fixed Address will give you a good understanding into this phenomenon.
The flow of capital, legal and/or illegal, into Vancouver's housing market, and the corporate agenda of developers, raises many questions. Upon reflection, I was left with this nagging feeling that Vancouver's housing crisis ain't going away anytime soon until housing is seen as a basic human right and there is the political will to tackle this social issue head on where no one is left behind.
The documentary has tremendous educational appeal and can be used as a vehicle to promote social change. I highly recommend it!
