What people say after they see it

Past efforts to address homelessness have faced challenges, often due to misalignment and a lack of shared vision. This new cooperative approach is about resetting the conversation and building the relationships and strategies needed to create sustainable change. One of the catalysts for this initiative was the more than 500 community members who attended the local showing of ‘Beyond the Bridge’.

You filled your message with love and respect and placed such an extraordinary vision in our minds. You have definitely rekindled my flame.

This film… just makes sense. You’ve got to stop thinking about homelessness as this great big thing that we can’t touch. Any municipality ought to be able to bring all the people into one room and have a conversation about how we make this better, how we do this differently in order to actually reduce homelessness.

I’ve been working at the intersections of homelessness, health and housing for about three decades and I have to say that I have never ever seen a piece of work with such a complete analysis like that film.

After seeing the film, I feel our program needs a major overhaul for bigger impact. Now I’m telling everyone ‘YOU MUST ATTEND!’

Attending this event has reignited my inner fire to get engaged in supporting this horrible issue of homelessness.

I know that people left feeling moved, inspired, and motivated – and we will bring this energy to our collective work together.

I’d like to say the first thing about this film is - you see me. You SEE me. You know how long I was invisible, how long I fell through the cracks? I was raised and born and understood that I was less than.

In just 90 minutes, Beyond the Bridge transforms the viewer’s understanding of homelessness, expertly and poignantly communicating so much of what people experiencing homelessness, service providers, and advocates wish more people understood about this issue. Our movement to end homelessness needs this film.

Days later and there are still so many conversations happening. It is beautiful and encouraging. With your dedication to this cause, hope and change is shown to be possible.

The opportunity for communities to catalyze is huge and it is due to the work that A Bigger Vision Films have done making the film and their efforts in meeting communities where they are. It is super inspiring.

Everyone in the room could see that they have a role to play in solutions to homelessness in our community, from city officials to service providers, to concerned/engaged neighbors.

We have received many requests to have a repeat presentation so that those who could not come this time, could come next time. I would like to see many, many more from our community show up and become a part of the solution.

I really appreciated how much your film just highlighted the importance of collaboration… what’s not working is the lack of collaboration that I see here at the local level.

The film was stunning! Your team did such an amazing job at linking all of the housing affordability/homelessness issues together in a beautiful, comprehensive, top-notch film.

It was incredibly moving to see successes of the program and the belief that it can truly end homelessness – this work can be isolating, and the task can feel insurmountable at times. Thank you for giving us hope.

What a tremendous documentary and wonderful time of engagement… I definitely left the gathering informed, inspired, and called to action. I will definitely share about this with my friends and pastors.

Thank you for seeing ME, for standing up for us and for carrying our voices like cries in the dark to those who hear.

I’ve been very skeptical and critical of film and media focused on the challenges of the experience of homelessness over the years. I like what these guys have done and more importantly how they have gone about it.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you put in the efforts you did to tell the story the way that you did. It is engaging, thoughtful, honoring, solution focused, provides urgency, a unifying message – a stunning presentation of heartbreaking humanity. You simply do not walk away unchanged.

I went into the theatre thinking, ‘Ugh, another movie about homelessness.’ People’s lived experience was integrated so well with policy and praxis. An insightful, straightforward and evidence-focused film.

We have helped place two unhoused guys in the past few weeks. The film helped educate us and inspired us. You have no idea how many seeds Beyond The Bridge is planting. Transforming and extending lives of the poorest of the poor!

The film itself was incredibly moving, not just making the case for Housing First from a logical perspective, but featuring stories from people who had received or were receiving support through the model. The film clearly made the case that doing hard things can definitely be possible, if people are willing to put in the work.

Thank you for replacing words that people tune out with images that reach the hearts of previously indifferent bystanders.

I thought it was fantastic. You and Tim did an amazing job synthesizing a huge amount of information and so many powerful voices into a cogent, engaging, easy to grasp story. Fabulous work.

This film is not only a solution, but has a surprising solution because it is not only about people who are homeless themselves, but about how every member of the community can get involved in solving this issue. It’s something you should see.

As a communications professional working on homelessness, I’ve seen several documentaries about this issue, and this is the one I’ve been waiting for! Bravo.